By Townhall Chicago News Staff
North Park University received a $650,108 grant from the National Institutes of Health, the first in the Chicago university’s history, to study how lymphoma spreads to the brain.
The four-year grant, awarded Sept. 17 through the National Cancer Institute’s Support for Research Excellence program, will fund research led by Dr. Tracy O’Connor, assistant professor of biology. North Park was one of 20 universities in Illinois to receive an NIH grant in fiscal year 2026, according to a Nov. 2 news release from the university.
“This award will significantly expand opportunities for directed and summer research in the biomedical sciences at North Park,” O’Connor said in the release. “The students and I are excited to get started and contribute to advancing our understanding of cancer.”
The project, titled “Mechanisms of Lymphoma Cell Dissemination to the Brain,” will examine how lymphoma cells use chemokine networks and signaling pathways to access the brain. Chemokines are signaling molecules that guide cells through the body, and the research aims to understand how cancer cells exploit those routes. The findings could inform treatments that prevent lymphoma from spreading to the nervous system, according to the release.
The NIH SuRE program supports research at institutions that have historically received limited federal research funding. In addition to advancing O’Connor’s research, the grant will provide North Park students with hands-on laboratory experience and career preparation in the biomedical sciences.
“We are incredibly proud of Dr. O’Connor and grateful for this recognition of her scholarship,” Provost and Vice President for Student Success Dr. Francisco X. Gaytán said in the release. “An NIH grant provides an opportunity to encourage student collaboration with faculty and strengthen our community of learning. Most importantly, her focus on cancer research supports work that can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.”
The research began Sept. 24 and will run through Aug. 31, 2030. The grant was issued under Award Number R16CA315399.
North Park University is a private institution at 3225 W. Foster Ave. on Chicago’s North Side. The school has built its molecular biology program in recent years, sending students to research experiences including a 10-week program in Taiwan focused on cancer research, according to the university’s website.
The SuRE award places North Park alongside larger research institutions that regularly compete for NIH funding. The grant broadens the base of federally funded cancer research beyond the traditional high-volume research universities.
Lymphoma spread to the central nervous system is a recognized clinical challenge that can complicate treatment. The research is at an early stage and does not yet have findings to report, but the four-year timeline will allow O’Connor and her students to pursue the work through multiple research cycles.
