As a medical oncologist who has practiced in three different countries, Dr. Maria Alice Franzoi is well acquainted with various healthcare systems and has a keen interest in researching patient-centered care models and innovative digital healthcare tools.

“I really think that technology can help us move the healthcare system to be more proactive,” says Maria.

With support from the Gilead Research Scholars Program (RSP), Maria is utilizing a remote monitoring program to help improve cancer care and decentralize it from hospitals to primary care settings. Her project has already been implemented for people living with breast cancer in dozens of centers in Europe, helping to enhance the quality of life of patients.

Gilead looks beyond its own labs to advance scientific innovation and address unmet needs in oncology. Since 2008 the company has invested in the RSP as a way to support early-career investigators like Maria and Katherine Chiappinelli, an assistant professor at George Washington University whose research through the RSP focuses on ovarian cancer. Katherine is advancing her work with epigenetic therapies in the hope it could lead to treatments that activate the immune system to fight ovarian cancer.

Likewise, Dr. Neil Vasan, a physician-scientist and assistant professor at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center, is leading work that focuses on understanding oncoproteins in cancer cell signaling, particularly rare PIK3CA mutations. He’s developing a “PIK3CA mutation playbook” to guide clinical decisions for breast cancer treatment.

“Funding is important for a couple of reasons,” he says. “It’s recognition that your ideas are exciting and have the potential to change the world.”

Gilead’s oncology pipeline currently spans 30 clinical-stage programs and has more than 20 potential assets across most tumor types, with a focus on those with high unmet need.

Watch the video above to learn more about Gilead’s ongoing efforts to support innovative research in oncology.