Purdue Researcher Awarded $150K American Lung Association Grant to Study Lung Cancer

The American Lung Association Research Institute has awarded $13.6 million in research grants to fund 129 innovative projects to advance science to end lung disease, including a project from Indiana. Andrea Kasinski, Ph.D. from Purdue University was awarded the Innovation Award. She will receive $75,000 for two years with the award for a grant total of $150,000.

Lung research is critical because 922,000 Hoosiers are living with lung disease and each year, millions of people are impacted by respiratory viruses like COVID-19 and influenza. Through the Awards and Grants Program, the Lung Association supports trailblazing research, novel ideas, and innovative approaches. The funded researchers investigate a wide range of lung health topics, including asthma, COPD, lung cancer infectious lung diseases and more.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Andrea Kasinski to the elite American Lung Association Research Institute and our efforts to fundamentally transform lung health here in Indiana and across the nation,” said Tanya Husain, executive director at the Lung Association. “Our research investment is key to unlocking solutions to alleviate the burden of lung disease. The Lung Association’s Awards and Grants Program promotes innovative research, collaboration, translation of discoveries, and scientific exchange to transform today’s science into tomorrow’s solutions. Because when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters.”

Dr. Kasinski’s project aims to find out how lung cancer cells rid themselves of a major cohort of tumor-suppressive microRNAs, which give lung cancer cells a competitive advantage. “I am grateful for the funding I have received from the American Lung Association that will allow us to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how lung cancer cells deplete themself of large cohorts of tumor suppressive small RNAs, a question that has been plaguing the RNA field for decades,” said Dr. Kasinski. “This high risk, high reward study would not be possible without funding and support from ALA.”

This year, awards were given in different categories addressing many aspects of lung disease; ALA/AAAAI Allergic Respiratory Diseases Award, ALA/ATS/CHEST Foundation Respiratory Health Equity Research Award, Catalyst Award, COVID-19 Respiratory Virus Research Award, Dalsemer Award, Innovation Award and Lung Cancer Discovery Award. Research projects funded by the Lung Association are carefully selected through rigorous scientific peer review and awardees investigate a wide range of complex issues.

The Lung Association’s Research Institute includes the Awards and Grants program, and also the Airways Clinical Research Network, the nation's largest not-for-profit network of clinical research centers dedicated to asthma and COPD treatment research. The Lung Association is currently accepting applications for its 2024-2025 research awards and grants cycle. For more information about the active research funding opportunities, visit Lung.org/awards.

For more information about the new grant awardees and the entire American Lung Association Research Team, visit Lung.org/research-team.

Media Resources

• Media b-roll is available here: Broll: ALA Research Team.mp4 | Powered by Box
• American Lung Association logos and other media resources are available at Lung.org/media 

Get involved and help the American Lung Association’s mission. The Fight For Air Climb in Indianapolis is coming up this spring on March 9. Learn more at FightForAirClimb.org/Indianapolis.