Lina Jaber, PhD

ICRF is currently supporting several projects in the areas of carcinoid, lung and pancreatic cancer research. Meet one of the currently funded researchers below:

With a 5-year survival rate below five percent and about 35,000 deaths per year, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is one of the most lethal human cancers.  The extremely poor clinical prognosis of PDAC is attributed to its high tendency to metastasize and its resistance to conventional surgical, chemotherapeutic and radio-oncologic treatment.  Significant progress has been made in characterizing the genetic and molecular alterations which cause PDAC. However, the molecular mechanisms which underlie early progression, invasion and metastasis in pancreatic cancer remain poorly understood.

Lina Jaber, PhD, the recipient of an ICRF Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is studying the WWOX gene, an emerging tumor suppressor that is frequently altered in PDAC. Using a mouse model, she will test whether deactivation of the WWOX gene promotes genomic instability and PDAC formation. If confirmed, her work could eventually lead to new prevention strategies.

Her important research is supported by the Dubi Fishel Fund for Pancreatic Cancer Research, which was established in 2020 to honor the memory of ICRF Chicago Board Member, Dubi Fishel, who lost his battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer on Yom Kippur last year. The campaign, which is chaired by family and friends, raised $33,000 in its inaugural year, covering the first year of Dr. Jaber’s three-year grant. To mark Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month this year, the campaign will run again from November 1 through December 31, 2021, with the goal of raising $33,000 for the second year of the grant.

A beloved member of the Chicago community, Dubi was born in Tel Aviv.  He served in the Israel Defense Forces and was active in the Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War, and the Lebanon War. He was no stranger to fighting battles. Dubi’s final mission was to share his journey with pancreatic cancer and generate support for ICRF’s mission to fund cutting-edge cancer research in Israel.

View Grant Recipient profile