Chicago, IL, Nov. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PersonaDx, a precision diagnostic oncology company transforming how metastatic cancers are classified and treated, announced today that its co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sean Pitroda, has received a $1 million Transformational Research Award from the Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust.
The grant will fund research led by Dr. Pitroda at the University of Chicago to investigate the biological mechanisms driving metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)—the most common form of lung cancer, representing about 85 to 90 percent of diagnosed cases. The project seeks to define the molecular signatures that drive patterns of metastasis and predict response to therapy in lung cancer—advancing a precision framework that transforms how metastatic disease is understood and managed.
“This funding allows us to build on the insights gained from our colorectal cancer research and apply them to metastatic lung cancer, where predictive tools remain limited,” said Dr. Pitroda. “By uncovering molecular differences that define patterns of metastasis, we hope to improve how treatment decisions are made for patients facing this disease.”
Dr. Pitroda, an Associate Professor of Radiation and Cellular Oncology and investigator at the University of Chicago’s Ludwig Center for Metastasis Research, studies the molecular basis of metastasis to better classify and predict patient response, and his team’s discoveries are the foundation of PersonaDx’s technology platform.
PersonaDx created the first and only clinically validated assay specifically for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) —PersonaCRC. Their assay stratifies mCRC patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups based on tumor RNA profiles and clinical features. PersonaCRC has been independently validated with Phase 3 New EPOC clinical trial data and published in JAMA Oncology, demonstrating more than 90 percent accuracy in predicting recurrence risk across patient cohorts in the United States and United Kingdom.
The new lung cancer research will apply similar molecular and data-driven methods to identify biomarkers that could inform a future diagnostic assay for metastatic NSCLC. The goal is to enable clinicians to distinguish patients who may achieve long-term remission with local therapy from those who are more likely to require systemic treatment.
“The Falk Trust has a long tradition of supporting research that bridges laboratory science and patient care,” said Dr. Ralph Weichselbaum, PersonaDx co-founder and member of the National Academy of Medicine. “This work reflects that mission by translating discoveries about metastasis into potential diagnostic advances.”
About the Falk Medical Research Trust
Established in 1979, the Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust supports biomedical research that seeks to improve treatment options and discover cures for currently untreatable diseases. Administered by Health Resources in Action on behalf of Bank of America, N.A., the Transformational Research Award provides multi-year funding for projects with strong potential for clinical application.
More information: https://hria.org/grants/falktap
About PersonaDx
PersonaDx is redefining metastatic cancer care with patented AI-powered biomarker assays, delivering over 90% accuracy and 48-hour reports for clinicians from CLIA-certified labs. Independently validated with Phase 3 trial data, their platform provides clear risk stratification to guide personalized therapy, avoid unnecessary interventions, and improve survival—while also generating highly curated clinical and molecular datasets that fuel research, trial targeting, and drug development. PersonaDx brings precision and confidence to every treatment decision. www.persona-dx.com
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Kevin Donnelly PersonaDx 2247309092 k.donnelly@persona-dx.com