Deb Kelly, Ph.D., Virginia Tech (IMAGE) Virginia Tech Caption Deb Kelly, an associate professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, was awarded $2.1 million by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study the protein that gives rise to a hard-to-treat form of breast cancer. Credit Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute Usage Restrictions Please use credit line. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.