JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville State University Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Le Su has received a $73,003.37 Extended Scholar Grant from the St. Baldrick’s Childhood Cancer Research Foundation to support research focused on a rare and aggressive childhood cancer.
The one-year grant, which runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, will fund Dr. Su’s project, Biology and Treatment of CIC-DUX4 Fusion-Driven Sarcoma. The research is centered on CIC-DUX4 sarcoma (CDS), a rare soft tissue cancer that primarily affects children and young adults.
According to Jacksonville State University, the research aims to better understand the genetic changes that drive the disease while identifying potential treatment strategies that could improve outcomes for patients.
“This highly competitive award reflects both the quality and significance of Dr. Su’s research,” said Dr. Christie Shelton, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “At Jax State, we are committed to supporting faculty whose research addresses real-world challenges while providing our students with opportunities to participate in meaningful discovery. Dr. Su’s work is an outstanding example of that mission in action.”
The St. Baldrick’s Childhood Cancer Research Foundation is the largest charitable funder of childhood cancer research grants in the United States. Its grant program is considered highly competitive, with only a select number of proposals receiving funding each year.
Dr. Su has received three grants from the foundation between 2016 and 2027 and is the first and only Jacksonville State University faculty member to receive St. Baldrick’s funding. The university said the St. Baldrick’s Scholar award is widely regarded as one of the highest honors in childhood cancer research.
Dr. Su’s research focuses on understanding why CIC-DUX4 sarcoma is particularly aggressive and identifying weaknesses that could be targeted with treatment. According to Dr. Su, approximately 60% of patients experience cancer spread to the brain and lungs, and the average survival after diagnosis is less than two years.
“The disease we choose to study is called CIC-DUX4 sarcoma (or CDS), a deadly soft tissue cancer in children and young adults,” Dr. Su said. “My research program is designed to serve a two-fold purpose: first, to find the genes essential for CDS cell survival and create a molecular roadmap of how they work together to support cancer development; second, to find CDS’s vulnerabilities and use FDA-approved anti-cancer compounds to treat CDS. Ultimately, this type of knowledge can be translated into clinical trials for CDS patients.”
Since joining Jacksonville State University in 2022, Dr. Su has established a research program dedicated to studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of childhood sarcomas and developing targeted therapies. He earned his doctorate in Cell Biology from the University of British Columbia before serving as a Junior Fellow at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, where he launched his independent research laboratory.
In addition to support from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Dr. Su’s research has received funding and recognition from the Sarcoma Foundation of America, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the American Association for Cancer Research.
Dr. Su also emphasized the role of his students in the research program.
“I am fortunate to work with outstanding undergraduate and graduate students, and this recognition belongs to them as much as it does to me,” he said. “Their hard work and dedication continue to move our research forward.”
He added that childhood cancer receives approximately 4% of all federal cancer research funding in the United States and said support from organizations such as the St. Baldrick’s Foundation plays an important role in advancing pediatric cancer research while providing educational opportunities for future scientists.
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation funds researchers around the world who are working to improve treatments and develop cures for childhood cancers.
