Gastric Cancer Foundation backs two early-stage research projects with $200,000

The Gastric Cancer Foundation is funding two U.S. research projects aimed at improving gastric cancer detection and treatment. The grants go to work at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center as the nonprofit tries to close the early-stage funding gap in stomach cancer research.

Why it matters: - Gastric cancer receives less than 1% of all federal funding for cancer research, leaving early-stage ideas underfunded. - The new grants are designed to move promising diagnostics and therapies closer to patient use. - The funding supports work that could improve how doctors find gastric lesions and treat tumors.

What happened: - Gastric Cancer Foundation announced $200,000 in new early-stage research funding for U.S.-based researchers focused on gastric cancer. - The grants are going to researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. - The announcement came Nov. 2, 2026, from San Francisco.

The details: - Andrew H. Song, PhD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center received $100,000. - Song will develop an AI-driven, multi-modal 3D pathology technique to detect gastric lesions with a high risk of turning cancerous. - Kipp Weiskopf, MD, PhD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center received $100,000. - Weiskopf will develop a bispecific antibody drug conjugate that targets FGFR2 and HER2 on gastric tumors. - The foundation said the projects reflect its goal of supporting innovative therapies and diagnostics for stomach cancer. - More information is available at the foundation's website.

Between the lines: - The grants target early-stage research, where funding is harder to secure and failure risk is higher. - The foundation is positioning itself as a gap-filler for ideas that may be too new for larger funders. - Harriet Patterson said the potential reward for patients is higher than the risk in early-stage research.

What's next: - The foundation said it will track progress from both grantees as the projects develop. - Future funding opportunities may follow as the organization continues its grant program. - The researchers will use the awards to advance work that could eventually inform better screening or treatment options.

The bottom line: - The Gastric Cancer Foundation is betting $200,000 on two early-stage projects that could sharpen gastric cancer diagnosis and expand treatment options.