SAN ANTONIO — The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has awarded nearly $3.4 million to UT Health San Antonio to advance research on hard-to-treat cancers and boost HPV vaccination rates.

Of the funding, $2.4 million will be used to expand core facilities at the university with technology currently unique to San Antonio. This enhancement will enable researchers to tackle drug-resistant cancers.

Dr. Daohong Zhou, director of the Target Discovery Core at the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, emphasized the ongoing challenges in cancer treatment despite recent progress.

With the new funding, they will be able to identify and validate a new therapy targeting the cancer and then use it to identify new therapeutics,” he said.

Dr. Zhou added, “We provide service to not only investigators at UT Health San Antonio, but also any investigator in Texas, including other academic institutions, and even collaborate with the biotech industry as well.”

The remaining $975,000 from the grant will support a community-based intervention program aimed at increasing HPV vaccination rates among young people in Bexar County. The initiative seeks to prevent various types of cancers by partnering with community organizations to offer health education and clinics for youth.

Dr. Erika Thompson, an associate professor at UT Health, highlighted the importance of early vaccination. “A lot of people hear information about vaccines and want to know more information, and know why this is important for their health and their child’s health? So our health communication really focuses on the importance of getting vaccinated to prevent cancer in the future,” she said.

Dr. Thompson noted that the project will target underserved communities lacking access to primary care services, ensuring they receive preventive health care, including the HPV vaccination.