Sahaja Acharya, M.D., a radiation oncologist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, has received a 2020 Career Development Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Conquer Cancer foundation.
Sahaja Acharya, M.D., a radiation oncologist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, has received a 2020 Career Development Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology Conquer Cancer foundation.
The award provides research funding to clinical investigators who have received their initial faculty appointment as they work to establish an independent clinical cancer research program. This research must have a patient-oriented focus, including a clinical research study or translational research involving human subjects.
Acharya’s research focuses on using novel techniques to preserve neurocognition in childhood cancer survivors.
"Addressing neurocognitive impairment after cranial radiation is one of the greatest challenges we face," Acharya said. "This grant will allow us to study potential ways to mitigate this impairment by limiting radiation to brain substructures that are particularly susceptible to radiation injury and responsible for key cognitive functions."
Acharya joined the faculty of St. Jude in 2017. She earned bachelor's degrees from Stanford University and is a graduate of Saint Louis University School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Washington University in St. Louis.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. To learn more, visit stjude.org or follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch.