Six new cancer researchers will receive funding through the 5 For The Fight Cancer Research Fellowship, which aims to bring innovative ideas and new ways of thinking to eradicate cancer.

Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U), in partnership with 5 For The Fight, is proud to announce the 2021 Cancer Research Fellowship recipients. Thanks to a $1 million gift from 5 For The Fight, six cancer researchers will receive support to help them advance their cancer research programs.

5 For The Fight is a nonprofit, started by Qualtrics, that invites everyone to give $5…

By Dr. Peter Lovatt

A few years ago, I met the good people of Qualtrics and learned about the cancer movement they started, 5 For The Fight. I have enjoyed leading “move moments” during their X4 conference as well as presenting on my work that has become The Dance Cure Book.

Today, I’m asking you to join their effort in this 5th month by signing up for the 5K For The Fight this weekend, May 21–22. Let me tell you why.

Just a few months ago, I myself was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Cancer is a horrible ordeal and it’s…

5 things I learned from Dad

This next year will be different — and that’s okay.

My dad, Jeff Reynolds, was a quiet, simple man. A man who, despite a frequent lack for words, would still manage to effortlessly command respect in any room he entered. Although I wish I could do so much more to honor Dad’s legacy, I feel like the simplicity of sharing a few nuggets of wisdom from my old man would be something that would have made him proud. …

Dr. Hardikar, a 5 For The Fight Fellow, is studying risk factors and outcomes in colorectal cancer patients

“My 5 is for my grandmother, who I was very close to and who was diagnosed with kidney cancer just before I moved to the US to pursue further education to become a cancer epidemiologist. My grandmother was born in a remote village in India and, though she wanted to, she could not go to school. Her parents didn’t have the resources, plus, she was a girl. After she got married to my grandfather, who was a teacher, she taught herself to…

Dr. Hu-Lieskovan, a 5 For The Fight Fellow, is studying why immunotherapy doesn’t
work for everyone

“My 5 is for my dad. His cancer was early stage at the beginning, and eventually it progressed and he died from it. Throughout his care, I started to realize how few options the patients actually have, especially in terms of immunotherapy for his kind of cancer — GI cancer. There is still a lot we need to do.”

— Siwen Hu-Lieskovan

For Siwen Hu-Lieskovan, it was the promise of immunotherapy — that is, harnessing the body’s own immune system to fight cancer — that really inspired her to get into cancer research.

Training under one of the pioneers of…

Dr. Adriana Coletta, a 5 For The Fight Fellow, is studying how nutrition and exercise can complement care.

“My 5 is for my grandfather, who had liver cancer. I really looked up to him and wished that I could have spent more time with him. He was kind and strong and he had a lot of integrity and was always honest. He told me to always do the right thing. And even though it can be hard, in the end, you always win.”

— Adriana Coletta

Adriana Coletta was gearing up for a career in sports dietetics until she completed her dietetic internship. As part of a medical team, she fell in love with patient care but knew…

When I heard the news, I stood rooted where I was. For a few seconds I was utterly frozen. The impact over my body when I found out Chadwick Boseman had passed away was immediate, yet not unique. Felt by every person who respected and revered his work, this reaction rippled around the world. No one knew, no one had an inkling of an idea that this beacon of light, this once in a lifetime gift for not just the Black community, but anyone who respected the art of portrayal was fighting Colorectal Cancer.

I’m a little embarrassed to say…

As a 5 For The Fight Fellow, Dr. Robert Judson-Torres is getting at the root of an understudied melanoma.

“ My 5 is for the patients with rare and understudied cancers — their bravery and patience while facing an unknown beast is our inspiration. Their eagerness to help understand the nature and source of their struggles is a gift.”

— Robert Judson-Torres

For Robert Judson-Torres, his intellectual curiosity in science is existential and altogether real and urgent. It’s overwhelming, he says, to think that every cell in our body has the same or approximately the same genome, but cells do so many different functions, working together to produce living, thinking, breathing, loving individuals.

“Choosing to focus on cancer research and specifically melanoma is my way of indulging in the infinite fascinating questions about how the cells in our bodies work,” Judson-Torres says. “And also have the answers to those questions be meaningful and change lives.”

Due to the economic effects of…