$2M Grant Boosts UC Davis Pancreatic Cancer Battle

Funding will support research into early detection tools for one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center has received a $2 million grant from the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research to advance pancreatic cancer research. The funding will support a team led by Julie L. Sutcliffe, co-director of the UC Davis Center of Molecular and Genomic Imaging, who is developing new imaging tools to detect early warning signs of pancreatic cancer before it fully forms.

Why it matters

Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates among all cancers, with only about 9% of patients surviving 5 years after diagnosis. This research aims to enable earlier detection and intervention, which could significantly improve outcomes for patients.

The details

Sutcliffe's team, which includes researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Johns Hopkins University, is working on using PET scans and small, safe radioactive tags to detect microscopic changes in the pancreatic duct cells that can lead to the most common type of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The goal is to identify these pre-cancerous 'PanIN' lesions before they develop into full-blown cancer.

  • The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research announced the $2 million grant recently.
  • Sutcliffe's team is one of six research groups sharing $12 million in funding from the Mark Foundation and its coalition partners.

The players

Julie L. Sutcliffe

Co-director for the UC Davis Center of Molecular and Genomic Imaging, and a professor of medicine and biomedical engineering at UC Davis.

Brian M. Wolpin

Researcher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, part of Sutcliffe's team.

Andrew J. Aguirre

Researcher at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, part of Sutcliffe's team.

Laura D. Wood

Researcher at Johns Hopkins University, part of Sutcliffe's team.

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

A foundation that announced the $2 million grant and is leading a coalition of organizations dedicated to solving early detection of some of the deadliest cancers.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This grant gives us a powerful opportunity to move pancreatic cancer research forward. PanIN lesions have not been visible with conventional imaging and the ability to non-invasively detect and monitor PanIN allows us the opportunity to intercept PDAC at its earliest stages. Ultimately, our goal is to bring new options and real hope to patients who urgently need better outcomes.”

— Julie L. Sutcliffe, Co-director, UC Davis Center of Molecular and Genomic Imaging (Mirage News)

What’s next

Sutcliffe's team will continue their research into developing the new imaging tools to detect early warning signs of pancreatic cancer, with the goal of enabling earlier intervention and improving outcomes for patients.

The takeaway

This grant represents a significant investment in advancing pancreatic cancer research, which is crucial given the poor survival rates for this deadly form of cancer. By focusing on early detection, the researchers hope to give patients better chances of successful treatment and recovery.