Congressman Cohen Announces NIH Grants to St. Jude and the University of Memphis

Image July 24, 2026 Press Release WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will receive two grants from the National Cancer Institute and that the University of Memphis will receive one grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. One of the St. Jude grants, for $622,500, is for research on transcriptional regulation in ZFTA-RELA ependymoma under the direction of Dr. Mark C. Mack in the Department of Developmental Neurobiology. The second St. Jude grant, for $289,893, is for research on a treatment for pediatric patients with relapsed refractory sarcomas under the direction of Dr. Rebecca Epperly, a faculty member in the Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. The University of Memphis grant, for $53,114, is for research into alcohol use by non-four-year college emerging adults, under the direction of clinical psychology doctoral student Jacob Tempchin. Congressman Cohen made the following statement: “St. Jude researchers are improving patient outcomes with the kinds of work these grants will underwrite. Understanding alcoholic behavior in young people is also likely to improve outcomes. I congratulate Drs. Mack and Epperly and Mr. Tempchin for the valuable work they’re doing.” # # # Issues : 9th District Children and Families Economy and Jobs Health Care Memphis Science and Technology Shelby County Tennessee