Davis announces cancer research grant awarded to local Champaign researcher

WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) today released this statement after Iria, a cancer research start-up at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Iria was started by Prof. Jianjun Cheng and Dr. Kaimin Cai in 2017 to develop the next-generation of cancer targeting and drug delivery technology for cancer treatment.

“Finding a cure for cancer will only be done through public-private partnerships like this and it’s exactly why I continue to vote for greater federal investment in medical research,” said Davis. “The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a powerhouse when it comes to ground-breaking research and grants like this help further the development of life-saving medical research. I applaud Professor Cheng and Dr. Cai for their work and look forward to seeing what it brings to future cancer treatments.”

This grant is part of a three-phase Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization. Learn more about the SBIR program here.

Last year, Davis voted for the largest investment in medical research in ten years and continues to make cancer research and development a top priority

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