Andrean Simons-Burnett, PhD, associate professor of radiation oncology and director of the Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program at the University of Iowa, has been awarded a $50,000 grant through the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Program's spring award cycle.

The award supports her project, "Use of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to Enhance HNSCC Therapy in Fanconi Anemia Patients," which investigates a strategy for improving treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in individuals with Fanconi anemia — an inherited disorder that leaves patients highly susceptible to certain cancers and less able to tolerate conventional therapies. By exploring N-acetylcysteine as a way to strengthen the therapeutic response, the research aims to expand treatment options for a population that has historically had few.

The AYA Cancer Program supports research and care focused on adolescent and young adult cancer patients, a group whose distinct clinical and developmental needs are often underserved by treatments designed for older adults. Simons-Burnett's grant was selected by the program's AYA Award Review Committee during its spring funding cycle.

The award reflects Simons-Burnett's ongoing work on signaling pathways and oxidative stress in cancer progression, with a particular emphasis on novel therapeutic approaches for head and neck cancers.