CLEVELAND — 2023 saw a record breaking $14.3 million dollars raised from VeloSano, which launched 24 pilot research cancer projects that are likely to attract additional traditional funding to keep going.
VeloSano also helps young researchers get ideas out of their heads and into a lab, which normally would take years. And one of those researchers has a personal stake in finding answers.
During Andras Ponti’s sophomore year of college, he never expected his biology studies to become a life experience.
“At the age of 20, I received the diagnosis of stage three testicular cancer and then began treatment of chemotherapy followed by surgery,” Ponti said.
His treatment at Cleveland Clinic exposed him to the world of medical research and he decided to make a difference.
“I had cancer, I had friends and family with cancer, I've lost some family members, so this is a topic really close to me,” Ponti added.
Ponti works at Cleveland Clinic as a senior research technologist while working on his Ph.D. He received $25,000 from VeloSano to study why aging speeds up the progression of glioblastoma brain tumors, or more specifically, "Sulfide oxidation in aging as a factor promoting glioblastoma pathogenesis.”
How did the money help?
“It covers, materials and re-agents that I can do the preliminary experiments that can hopefully lead to a much larger study, this is funding that a lot of young trainees don't have access to,” Ponti said.
Research costs money, and often great ideas never get into a lab because funding isn’t available, or we must wait for great researchers to build a on their work to be able to attract funding resources. VeloSano gives them a chance.
“Without the money, you’ll never know if it was a good idea or a bad idea,” Ponti said.
This year Ponti will also be participating in VeloSano for the first time as a rider.
Click here to find out how you can help raise money for cancer research through VeloSano.