Career Enhancement Program
The Career Enhancement Program aims to encourage and provide training and guidance for academic physicians-scientists, clinician-investigators and laboratory-based scientists who want to dedicate their endeavors to leukemia translational research. To achieve these aims, the Career Enhancement Program will develop the following objectives:
- Recruit and train physicians, scientists and senior postdoctoral fellows to become excellent translational investigators in leukemia research
- Educate awardees in the basic principles of cancer biology, at both the molecular and cellular level, with an emphasis on translational science
- Provide a firm foundation for awardees in the specific area of leukemia biology, laboratory, clinical and epidemiologic evaluation
- Guide awardees to becoming effective leukemia translational researchers
These objectives will be accomplished through a strong mentorship program. Awardees will be instructed in the principles of leukemia clinical and basic research.
The Career Enhancement Program will recruit senior medical or laboratory-based postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty who wish to develop a career in leukemia translational research. In addition, established senior faculty who wish to re-direct or extend their ongoing research programs into leukemia research will be eligible for participation.
The unique educational environment that exists at the MD Anderson Cancer Center will add much to achieving our goals. Individuals who will make a two-year commitment in their training will be given preference, since this amount of training is ideal to obtain in-depth knowledge to be highly successful in a career of leukemia translational research.
Award Process
Three to four Career Enhancement awardees will be selected in the first and each subsequent year. Solicitations will be made for qualified candidates from within and outside the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Minorities and women will be encouraged to apply.
Mentorship
The Career Enhancement Program mentors will provide the following functions:
- Serve as laboratory research advisors
- Teach in the advanced courses and tutorials
- Serve on training, advisory and supervisory committees
Mentors have been selected because they have independent, highly productive research laboratories with peer-reviewed grant support in leukemia-related research, and because of focus and interest in fundamental research that has potential for direct applications to leukemia. Several of the laboratory programs emphasize molecular biology and oncogene research.
Career Enhancement Program Award Recipients
2020 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Irene Ganan-Gomez, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor
Josef Madzo, Ph.D.
Coriell Institute for Medical Research
Director, Bioinformatics at Coriell Institute for Medical Research
Rasoul Pourebrahimabadi, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor
2019 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Warren Fiskus, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor
Ross Wang, Ph.D.
Temple University
Assistant Professor
Yue Wei, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor
2018 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Joe Ishizawa, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Leukemia
Ghayas Issa, M.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor
Vlad Sandulache, M.D., Ph.D.
Baylor College of Medicine
Assistant Professor
Nicholas Short, M.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor
2017 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Naval Daver, M.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Leukemia
Jo Ishizawa, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Leukemia
Koichi Takahashi, M.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Leukemia
Shouhao Zhou, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Biostatistics
2016 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Simona Colla, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Leukemia
Naval Daver, M.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Leukemia
Jin Im, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Stem Cell Transplantation
Koichi Takahashi, M.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Leukemia
2015 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Simona Colla, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Leukemia
Italo Tempera, Ph.D.
Temple University
Assistant Professor
Yong Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Research Associate
2014 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Kumudha Balakrishnan, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Experimental Therapeutics
Rong Chen, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Experimental Therapeutics
Zhihong Zeng, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Leukemia
2013 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Bing Carter, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Associate Professor, Leukemia
Rong Chen, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Experimental Therapeutics
Kevin McBride, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Molecular Carcinogenesis
Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Professor, Stem Cell Transplantation
2012 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Gheath Al-Atrash, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Stem Cell Transplantation
Alfonso Quintas-Cardama, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Leukemia
Kumudha Balakrishnan, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Experimental Therapeutics
Venkata Battula, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Department of Leukemia
Sean Post, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Leukemia
2011 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Gheath Al-Atrash, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Stem Cell Transplantation
Gang Chen, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Translational Molecular Pathology
Deepa Sampath, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Experimental Therapeutics
Sean Post, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Leukemia
Yue Wei, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Leukemia
2010 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Gang Chen, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Translational Molecular Pathology
Lisa Chen, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Genetics
Marcos Estecio, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Department of Leukemia
Deepa Sampath, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Experimental Therapeutics
Yue Wei, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Leukemia
2009 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
No Career Enhancement Awards
2007-08 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Marcos Estecio Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Department of Leukemia
Erkki Koivunen, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Associate Professor, Department of Leukemia
Ajoy Samanta, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Molecular Pathology
Shao-Qing Kuang, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Department of Leukemia
2006 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Weiguo Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Stem Cell Transplantation
Lanlan Shen, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Leukemia
Ajoy Samanta, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Molecular Pathology
Shao-Qing Kuang, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Department of Leukemia
2005 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Jaroslav Jelinek, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Department of Leukemia - Research
Kristen Senechal, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Department of Molecular Genetics
Lanlan Shen, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Leukemia
Weiguo (Wayne) Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Department of Blood & Marrow Transplantation
2004 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Hesham Amin, M.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Hematopathology
Joya Chandra, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Research
Ricardo Giordano
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Postdoctoral Fellow, GU Medical Oncology (T/R)
Jaroslav Jelinek, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Instructor, Department of Leukemia - Research
2003 Career Enhancement Award Recipients
Allen Yang, M.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Fellow, Medical Oncology
William Wierda, M.D., Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Leukemia
Joya Chandra, Ph.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics - Research
Hesham Amin, M.D.
UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Hematopathology