Rep. Jimmy Panetta Secures Federal Funding for Local Cancer Research
Santa Cruz, CA – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) announced a new federal grant to support ongoing local cancer research. Rep. Panetta secured $697,000 for researchers at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) to study isoforms driving cancer and drug resistance.
February is National Cancer Prevention Month, dedicated to raising awareness of prevention, screenings, and research needed to save lives. The federal government estimates that nearly 2 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer in 2023. More than 600,000 Americans and nearly 60,000 Californians died from the disease last year. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease.
“Cancer impacts the lives of many Americans,” said Rep. Panetta. “This federal investment will help support UCSC researchers working to better understand this deadly disease and will further solidify California’s 19th Congressional District leadership in our search for a cure. I believe in our country’s ability to do big things, and I look forward to the work ahead to drive forward the innovative cancer research, treatment, and prevention efforts taking place here at home and nationwide.”
Rep. Panetta continues to fight for key federal investments in cancer research and prevention. Rep. Panetta authored and introduced the Aviator Cancers Examination Study (ACES) Act alongside Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11) which would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to advance research on any correlation between aviator service and cancer rates. Rep. Panetta previously passed into law legislation to establish the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and invest $2.5 billion into new research to develop radical new ways to detect and treat cancer.
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