Hello friends,

Support me as I ride in Pelotonia 2026, an effort that directly fuels lifesaving cancer research at The Ohio State University.

Pelotonia has had a profound impact on my laboratory’s work since I joined OSU in 2015. Pelotonia awards are highly competitive and rigorously reviewed, and I’m proud that my team has earned $396,875 in Pelotonia funding to support our trainees and advance our research.

In 2024, I was honored to be named Pelotonia-Funded Researcher of the Year, a recognition of our team’s dedication and the meaningful progress we’ve made. More on that here, and The Night of Impact 2024

Pelotonia-Funded Research That Drives Discovery

Our 2020 Pelotonia Idea Grant, “Adipose Tissue Contributions to Pancreatic Cancer Development,” generated essential data that helped secure our current NIH/NCI R01 (R01CA279707), which continues to advance our understanding of how fat tissue contributes to pancreatic cancer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDJDDmrQdDM

Training the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers

Pelotonia funds have supported an outstanding group of trainees who now contribute to science, medicine, and innovation:

2026 – Zach Hurst, MS – Pelotonia Graduate Scholar (PhD Candidate, MCDB Program)
2024 – Grace Vulic – Pelotonia Undergraduate Scholar (future PhD student)
2021 – Trevor Sobol – Pelotonia Undergraduate Fellow → now an OSU medical student
2021 – Valentina Pita-Grisanti, MS, PhD – Pelotonia Graduate Fellow → now Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Miami (Learn about her and her project here)
2019 – Olivia Ueltschi, BS – Pelotonia Undergraduate Fellow → now OSU medical student (Learn about her and her project here Now a Medical Student at OSU
2019 – Sabrina Kaul, BS MD– Pelotonia Undergraduate Fellow → now a Medical Resident (Learn about her and her project here Now a Medical Resident
2018 – Kelly Dubay, BS MD– Pelotonia Undergraduate Fellow → now an OB/GYN Resident Physician (Learn about her and her project here Now an OB/GYN Resident Physician
2018 – Ali Lahooti, BS MD – Pelotonia Undergraduate Fellow → now an MS4 at Weill Cornell Medicine (Learn about him and his project here)
2016 – Myrriah Tomar, PhD – Pelotonia Postdoctoral Fellow → now Executive Director, Office of Innovation Commercialization, New Mexico Tech

Our Work in the News

10TV News “Pelotonia-funded research @OhioState could help shed new light on possible links between #obesity and #PancreaticCancer.” Toward a Cancer-Free World segment. https://twitter.com/OSUCCC_James/status/1362575126936567816?s=20

WKRC-TV 12 News “Pancreas cancer study focuses on causes”

https://local12.com/health/the-james-at-ohio-state/pancreatic-cancer-study-focuses-on-causes-zobeida-cruz-monserrate-fat-tissue-pancreatic-nutrition-expert

Why I Ride

I ride for every patient fighting cancer today, and in memory of those we have lost. Pelotonia funding accelerates research at a time when federal support is uncertain—and every dollar truly makes a difference.

Help Me Reach My 2026 Goal

My goal this year: $1,250.
Your support brings us closer to a cancer‑free world.

Follow our research updates on X: @ZCMlab or www.zcmlab.org
Learn more about our work and stories:

My Research story

My Pelotonia story