MD Anderson’s Andrew Sabin Family Fellows welcomes 2024 cohort

HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has named its ninth cohort of Andrew Sabin Family Fellows. This year’s fellows represent a distinguished group of 10 rising faculty members whose innovative research encompasses a variety of fields, including immunology, radiation oncology and biostatistics. These fellows join the ranks of 72 past recipients of the prestigious Sabin Family Fellowship.

Created to provide a dedicated source of funding for emerging clinician and scientist leaders, the fellowship supports groundbreaking research that advances the institution’s mission to end cancer. Funding for the fellowship comes from a generous $30 million endowment from the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation, which is now in its ninth year of awarding recipients.

The fellowship aims to address the crucial need for research funding among junior faculty by providing each Sabin Family Fellow with $100,000 over two years. Funding from the fellowship frees up researchers’ time and energy so they can focus more on their work and worry less about securing grants or donations.

“Each new class of Sabin Family Fellows represents an exciting, new chapter in Making Cancer History®,” said Sabin, a senior member of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors. “My family and I are proud to support the creative, pioneering cancer research of these brilliant individuals who will make an impact on cancer patients around the world.” 

Dozens of finalists are identified annually through an extensive external peer review process, which this year included a panel of 33 internationally renowned experts. The panel is overseen by MD Anderson faculty: Padmanee Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., awards chair, Swathi Arur, Ph.D., George Calin, M.D., Ph.D., David Hong, M.D., Susan Peterson, Ph.D., Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D., Sanjay Shete, Ph.D., Jennifer Wargo, M.D., Ph.D., and Shannon Westin, M.D.

The 2024 class of Sabin Family Fellows is:

Basic/Translational Scientists

• Mauro Di Pilato, Ph.D., assistant professor, Immunology
• Yuan Pan, Ph.D., assistant professor, Symptom Research
• Haoqiang Ying, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, Molecular & Cellular Oncology

Clinical Researchers

• Justin Gregg, M.D., assistant professor, Urology
• Xiuning Le, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, Thoracic/Head & Neck Medical Oncology
• Devarati Mitra, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor, Radiation Oncology

Physician-Scientists

• Lauren Colbert, M.D., assistant professor, Radiation Oncology
• Wen Jiang, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, Radiation Oncology
• John Paul Shen, M.D., assistant professor, Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology

Population/Quantitative Scientists

• Christine Peterson, Ph.D., associate professor, Biostatistics

The 2024 Sabin Family Fellows are conducting research projects with implications for a broad range of cancers, including prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, melanoma, glioblastoma, and rare cancers like appendiceal adenocarcinoma (appendix cancer) and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors.

Discoveries from their research will contribute to the body of knowledge in their respective fields while also leading to new or improved treatments in immunotherapy, radiation therapy, cancer neuroscience and targeted treatments based on the body’s microbiome.

“For nearly a decade, the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation has championed the research of countless junior faculty members, supporting their efforts to uncover breakthroughs that will change the landscape of cancer research, treatment and prevention,” said President Peter WT Pisters, M.D. “We are grateful to Mr. Sabin and the foundation for their continued commitment to help us end cancer.”