The Ride funds $365,000 in research at Carbone Cancer Center

On a beautiful September Sunday, hundreds of bicyclists pedaled the roads of eastern Dane County on The Ride to raise money for cancer research.

This weekend, their fundraising came home to support cancer research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as scholarships totaling $365,488 were awarded at Friday’s Badger hockey game.

“We’re grateful to all the riders, donors and volunteers who have enabled us to provide funding for some really innovative cancer research,” says Deric Wheeler, PhD, director of The Ride and associate professor of human oncology at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “Thanks to our sponsors, all the money raised through The Ride goes to UW cancer researchers and programs to jump-start research projects that could one day lead to better treatments and even save lives.”

The 2018 Ride Scholarships were announced during the intermission of the Wisconsin Badgers versus Ohio State Buckeyes hockey game to:

• David Beebe, professor of biomedical engineering, who conducts research on understanding how cancer cells spread and respond to cancer therapies.
• Noelle LoConte, associate professor of medicine, who works to improve cancer prevention, screening, treatment and survivorship across Wisconsin and beyond.
• Melissa Skala, associate professor of biomedical engineering, who is developing new approaches to harness the immune system to attack breast cancer.
• Rong Hu, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, who evaluates patient samples to test new cancer biomarkers and treatment approaches.
• Bryan Bednarz, associate professor of medical physics and engineering physics, who along with his team studies combining novel drugs with radiation to enhance the effects of radiotherapy.
• John Denu, professor of biomolecular chemistry, whose research centers on targeting DNA as a strategy to kill cancer cells.
• Kristina Matkowskyj, associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, whose research focuses on improving cancer patient health through analysis of patient-donated tissue.
• Sam Lubner, associate professor of medicine, who will help select five UW medical students for The Ride Student Summer Research Awards in 2019.
• Randy Kimple, associate professor of human oncology, who aims to develop a new treatment for patients with head and neck cancer with less radiation-induced xerostomia (dry mouth).
• Joshua Coon, professor of chemistry, whose research focuses on developing cutting-edge chemical instrumentation to measure proteins in human cells and tissues to create better targeted therapies.

In three years, The Ride, a fundraiser of the UW Carbone Cancer Center and the UW Department of Human Oncology, has raised more than $860,000 for cancer research at UW–Madison. In 2018, The Ride drew 1,450 riders, 200 more than the previous year. In 2019, The Ride will take place on Sunday, Sept. 22.

“The Ride is a fun way to support cancer research at the University of Wisconsin that continues to grow both in terms of dollars raised and number of participants,” Wheeler says. “We look forward to continued success in 2019.”