Two UVM Cancer Center members and one mentee of a Cancer Center member received Institutional Research Grants from the American Cancer Society for the fiscal year 2026, in the amount of $40,000 each.  

The awardees are:  

Trishnee Bhurosy, M..Sc, Ph.D, CHES, Assistant Professor of Nutrition at UVM College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Dr. Bhurosy is a member of the Population Sciences and Cancer Outcomes Research (PSCO) group. She is mentored by PSCO’s co-leader Maija Reblin, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Family Medicine at UVM Larner College of Medicine.  

Dr. Bhurosy’s project, “Fueling Longevity: A Needs Assessment of Adolescent and Young Adult Survivors’ Food Access Challenges and Nutritional Needs,” will look at how adolescents and young adults (AYA; ages 15-39) who are survivors of cancer in rural communities disproportionately experience food insecurity, which may contribute to urban/rural disparities in cancer survivorship outcomes. 

“Food assistance programs, such as food pantries or community-based Food is Medicine programs, serve as safety nets for AYA survivors, but there are barriers to accessing these critical resources, and food security is not prioritized in AYA care,” writes Bhurosy. “Through a mixed methods approach, this proposed project will inform interventions that combine food insecurity screening, nutritional counseling, and resource referrals for AYA survivors living in rural communities.”  

Danielle Brasino, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at UVM Larner College of Medicine. Dr. Brasino is a member of the Cancer Host and Environment research program. She is mentored by Dimitry Krementsov, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Biomedical and Health Sciences at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and a Cancer Center affiliate member.  

Brasino’s project, “Panning Whole Food Sources of Dietary Fiber to Construct a Targeted Prebiotic for Improved Immunotherapy Efficacy,” will build on recent studies that highlight the importance of the gut microbiome in affecting immunotherapy treatment outcomes. “While high fiber diets can leverage this relationship to improve treatment response, access and adherence to this diet can be a limiting factor,” writes Brasino.   

“Our project aims to develop a targeted prebiotic capable of delivering the benefits of a high fiber diet to improve access and uptake of this intervention and improve patient outcomes.”  

Pamela C. Egan, M.D., Hematology and Internal Medicine, MaineHealth. Dr. Egan is mentored by Scot C. Remick, M.D., Director of Oncology Research & Education with MaineHealth and a UVM Cancer Center clinical member.  

Egan’s project, “Removing Transfusion Dependence as a Barrier to Hospice,” will attempt to overcome the barriers faced by blood cancer patients who need blood transfusions and are ready to enroll in Hospice. “Because of the way the Medicare Hospice benefit is structured, transfusions are not routinely provided on Hospice, and so many of these patients and their families opt to delay or forego enrollment,” writes Egan. “We hope to show that by allowing patients with AML to enroll on Hospice and still receive symptom-guided transfusion support, they will enjoy the benefits of longer Hospice enrollment and avoid unnecessarily aggressive care during their end-of-life period.”