FY 2025 Annual Report Highlights

July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025

Download FY 2025 Annual Report

Grant and Other Cancer Research Investment Highlights

This section includes the grants awarded, grant-funded work in progress, research accomplishments, prevention, and care activities; and a summary of research, prevention, and care-related findings, including promising new areas for investment (per RCW 43.348.050(5)).

In Fiscal Year 2025, the CARE Board awarded over $10 million in the first cycle of Implementation and Outcomes Research grants.

This grant opportunity aims to support innovative investigators from eligible organizations to translate promising research and scientific discoveries into the development of tools, devices, technologies, therapeutics, or interventions, that have the potential to address cancer care across the cancer continuum that will ultimately advance cancer care, lessen the burden of cancer, and improve health outcomes.

CARE Fund congratulates the inaugural grantees in this category, to support implementation, translational, and outcomes research that advance the application of scientific discoveries and technologies or informs how the application of scientific discoveries impact patients and populations.

Ten Grantees Were Awarded $10,256,298 for Implementation Outcomes Research (Cycle 1)

Dotquant, LLC

A Three-in-One HER Family Targeted RNA Drug for Breast Cancer

Principal Investigator: Hongyan Liu, PhD

Research Area: Treatment

Cancer Type: Breast

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Partnering with Washington State Tribal Communities to Develop Culturally-Tailored Nutrition Resources and Reduce Cancer Health Disparities

Principal Investigator: Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, MPH; Amanda Fretts, PhD, MPH

Research Area: Prevention

Cancer Type: Multiple Types

Seattle Children’s Research Institute

Converting an Immunotherapy Resistance Mechanism into a Vulnerability Using Slow-Release Local Immunotherapy

Principal Investigator: Jim Olson, MD, PhD

Research Area: Treatment

Cancer Type: Multiple Types

Seattle Children’s Research Institute

Advanced Platform for Developing Conditionally Stable Sensors and Effectors for Cancer Applications

Principal Investigator: Jonathan Tang, PhD

Research Area: Early Detection, Diagnosis and Prognosis

Cancer Type: Pan-Cancer

Talus Bioscience, Inc.

Development of a Direct Inhibitor of the Brachyury Transcription Factor for Chordoma and Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Principal Investigator: Alex Federation, PhD

Research Area: Treatment

Cancer Type: Multiple Types

University of Washington

RNA Therapeutics: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Translation

Principal Investigator: Xiaohu Gao, PhD

Research Area: Treatment

Cancer Type: Prostate

University of Washington

Workplace Cancer Prevention and Screening: Scaling Up Connect to Wellness for Employees in Low-Wage Industries Across Washington State

Principal Investigator: Peggy Hannon, PhD, MPH

Research Area: Prevention

Cancer Type: Multiple Types

University of Washington

Phase II Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial evaluating a Scalable, Personalized Home-Based Activity Intervention with ExerciseRx: The EMPOWER Trial

Principal Investigator: Sarah Psutka, MD, MSc; Cindy Lin, MD, FACSM, FAAPMR

Research Area: Cancer Control, Survivorship and Outcomes

Cancer Type: Bladder

Wayfinder Biosciences, Inc.

Developing Novel Small Molecule Therapeutics for MYC-Driven Cancers Using Wayfinder Biosciences’ Proprietary RNA-Drugging Platform

Principal Investigator: David Sparkman-Yager, PhD

Research Area: Treatment

Cancer Type: Multiple Types

CARE Fund “provided the necessary funding to build a research team, to bring highly skilled scientists together to work together. This award allowed us to really invest in cancer survivors as research partners without the stress that funding can often create.

CARE Fund allowed this work to get out of the block sprinting rather than jogging.

The existence of CARE Fund truly demonstrates how Washington stands above many other states in its ability to be visionary in its commitment to science.”

Andy Hill CARE Fund promotes cancer research and improves health outcomes in Washington.

CARE Fund grants are designed to promote cancer research led by public and private entities conducting cancer research in Washington State.

Annual public reports highlighting grants, research progress, prevention, care initiatives, and future directions in cancer research.

FY 2025 Annual Report Highlights

July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025

Grant and Other Cancer Research Investment Highlights

Ten Grantees Were Awarded $10,256,298 for Implementation Outcomes Research (Cycle 1)

Dotquant, LLC

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Seattle Children’s Research Institute

Seattle Children’s Research Institute

Talus Bioscience, Inc.

University of Washington

University of Washington

University of Washington

Wayfinder Biosciences, Inc.

Dr. Yaw Nyame

CARE Fund Grantee