Meet Dr. Paul Grippo, an Associate Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in the Chicago area. Dr. Grippo has been awarded the Rick Carone Pancreatic Cancer Research Grant by Project Purple. This grant is given annually to honor Rick Carone, a late member of the Project Purple family who was a runner and athlete in Illinois.
After completing his undergraduate studies, Dr. Grippo pursued a master’s degree in biochemistry and focused on researching pancreatic cancer during his graduate school experience. He continued this research throughout his PhD program and has dedicated nearly 30 years to studying pancreatic cancer. Dr. Grippo believes that his path into pancreatic cancer research was driven by a divine force. He emphasizes the importance of passion, skillset, and opportunity in his field, and for him, pancreatic cancer research fulfills all of these criteria.
Dr. Grippo discusses some of the recent studies conducted by his team, focusing on how they can potentially identify dietary causes of pancreatic cancer and diets that could benefit pancreatic cancer patients. He also elaborates on newer methods of creating pancreatic cancer models to more accurately study the disease. Additionally, Dr. Grippo and his colleagues have been examining data from stool studies to gain insights into the body’s healthy waste disposal. Furthermore, he mentions recent studies that suggest stress may be as significant as dietary factors in cancer.
Tune in to the Project Purple Podcast to learn more about the grant and the groundbreaking research Dr. Grippo has conducted to support the mission of eradicating pancreatic cancer.
If you’d like to donate to Project Purple’s mission of a world without pancreatic cancer, please visit www.projectpurple.org/.
For more on Dr. Grippo and the work he does at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, visit this site: cancer.uillinois.edu/member/paul-grippo-phd/
