Dana-Lynn Koomoa, a junior researcher at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, is one of 11 young scientists to receive a national 2009 Young Investigator Award from the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

Koomoa will receive a grant of $40,000 per year for two years to support her research on treatment of advanced-stage neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer that affects mostly infants and children, a release said.

Koomoa's mentor, Andre Bachmann, Ph.D., said: “;Koomoa has performed outstanding work in the two years she has been working with me at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii. She has been very productive, and we have already been able to publish her data in papers with high scientific impact. ...

...”;She also supervises some of my students, and has been a mentor with equal passion. I am certain Dr. Koomoa will continue to do well and will soon be able to develop her independent research program.”;

A graduate of McKinley High School, Koomoa received a Bachelor of Science degree from San Diego State University and a doctoral degree from Brown University in molecular pharmacology, physiology and biotechnology.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is a nonprofit charity founded by the parents of a 4-year-old cancer patient, Alexandra “;Alex”; Scott, who in 2000 wanted to set up a lemonade stand to help raise money to find a cure for kids with cancer. At the time of her death in 2008, she had raised more than $1 million for childhood cancer research.

Since then the organization has raised more than $25 million.