Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Fellow Jason Sheltzer has been awarded a TheoryLab Collaborative Grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS). TheoryLab™ is a new social media platform that allows cancer researchers to connect and launch collaborative projects. Sheltzer partnered with fellow TheoryLab™ user Rajan Kulkarni, an associate professor at Oregon Health Science University, for this grant. Together, they are investigating whether having too many chromosomes affects how well cancer therapies work in melanoma patients.
To receive a TheoryLab™ grant, investigators must first pitch their ideas to the social media community. Other researchers on the platform provide feedback and vote on the most promising ideas. Investigators with the most crowdsourced support can then officially apply for a grant.
TheoryLab™ is a new way to keep research moving forward. Sheltzer says, “especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when normal academic conferences aren’t happening, it’s good to have an online venue to connect with other scientists and share ideas.”
Written by: Luis Sandoval, Communications Specialist | sandova@cshl.edu | 516-367-6826