Researchers Hope Hawaii Lawmakers Fund Cancer Research This Year 0 A new study would seek to get to the bottom of why Native Hawaiians, Filipinos and Pacific Islanders face high rates of many cancers.

The Legislature is facing a myriad of requests for funding during this year’s session, but researchers at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center hope one in particular rises to the top.

House Bill 1301 would fund a new study to analyze cancer disparities among Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Filipinos in Hawaii.

Twenty-two legislators signed onto the bill which was introduced primarily by Rep. Cory Chun, a former lobbyist for the American Cancer Society. Chun said the bill would help researchers get started on what’s known as a multiethnic cohort study, and make it easier for them to justify requests for federal funding after the study has launched.

Lani Park, an associate professor specializing in cancer epidemiology at the University of Hawaii; and Alika Maunakea, associate professor at the Institute for Biogenesis Research at the university, would serve as principal investigators on the study.

Researchers Hope Hawaii Lawmakers Fund Cancer Research This Year