“I am deeply thankful to the Landgraf family and the Amador Cancer Research Foundation for this award,” Gulati said. “Funding from the grant will allow us to conduct a pilot clinical trial in patients with kidney cancer to improve outcomes when treated with immunotherapy drugs in the pre-operative setting.”
Gulati said the novel immunotherapy drug, in combination with other novel agents, will spur the immune cells to attack the cancer cells to improve outcomes in patients suffering from lethal kidney cancer.
History of the memorial fund
The Christine and Helen S. Landgraf Memorial Fund has given annual grants to doctors and research scientists at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center since 1973. John and Helen Landgraf, longtime residents of Sacramento and Sutter Creek, established the endowment in memory of their daughter, Christine, who died from Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 27.
The memorial fund awards an annual scholarship to an early-career faculty member who is engaged in cancer research.
“I am very grateful for our board and community who so generously give their support to this cause,” said Cathy Landgraf, who organizes the annual event in memory of her mother and sister.
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated center serving the Central Valley and inland Northern California, a region of more than 6 million people. Its specialists provide compassionate, comprehensive care for more than 100,000 adults and children every year and access to more than 200 active clinical trials at any given time. Its innovative research program engages more than 240 scientists at UC Davis who work collaboratively to advance discovery of new tools to diagnose and treat cancer. Patients have access to leading-edge care, including immunotherapy and other targeted treatments. Its Office of Community Outreach and Engagement addresses disparities in cancer outcomes across diverse populations, and the cancer center provides comprehensive education and workforce development programs for the next generation of clinicians and scientists. For more information, visit cancer.ucdavis.edu.
