Fiscal Year 2023 Awardees
Research is a cornerstone of MD Anderson’s quest to end cancer. The Excellence in Science program is the online showcase for the Wall of Science, our quarterly program for honoring outstanding primary research selected from among publications in top journals by MD Anderson’s world-renowned scientists.
Quarter 1 (September–November 2022)
Rodabe Amaria, M.D., and Hussein Tawbi, M.D., Ph.D.
Rodabe Amaria, M.D.
Professor
Melanoma Medical Oncology
Hussein Tawbi, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Deputy Chair
Melanoma Medical Oncology
Neoadjuvant relatlimab and nivolumab in resectable melanoma
Yu-Yi Chu, Ph.D., and Dihua Yu, M.D., Ph.D.
From left to right: Ching-Fei Li, Heng-Huan Lee, Mei-Kuang Chen, Dihua Yu, Yu-Yi Chu, Zhou Jiang and Yongkun Wei
Yu-Yi Chu, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Molecular and Cellular Oncology
Dihua Yu, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Chair Ad Interim, Molecular & Cellular Oncology
Hubert L. and Olive Stringer Distinguished Chair in Basic Science
Ronald de Pinho, M.D., and Alan Wang, Ph.D.
Ronald A. DePinho, M.D.
Professor
Cancer Biology and Genomic Medicine Research
Harry Graves Burkhart III Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Research
Y. Alan Wang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Cancer Biology
Neil Gross, M.D.
Neil Gross, M.D.
Professor
Head and Neck Surgery
Eiko Hayase, Ph.D., and Robert Jenq, M.D.
Eiko Hayase, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Genomic Medicine
Robert Jenq, M.D.
Associate Professor
Genomic Medicine
Mucus-degrading Bacteroides link carbapenems to aggravated graft-versus-host disease
Kristin Huntoon, Ph.D., D.O., DaeYong Lee, Ph.D., Betty Kim, M.D., Ph.D., and Wen Jiang, M.D.
Kristin Huntoon, Ph.D., D.O.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Neurosurgery
DaeYong Lee, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Neurosurgery
Betty Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
Neurosurgery
Wen Jiang, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Radiation Oncology
Ye Ethan Li, M.D., Ph.D., and Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D.
Ye Ethan Li, M.D., Ph.D.
Instructor
Stem Cell Transportation and Cellular Therapy
Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D.
Sally Cooper Murray Chair in Cancer Research
Chief, Section of Cell Therapy
Medical Director GMP and Cell Therapy Facility
Professor, Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
KIR-based inhibitory CARs overcome CAR-NK cell trogocytosis-mediated fratricide and tumor escape
From left to right: Laura Bover, Enli Liu, Xingliang Guo, Nadima Uprety, May Daher, Katy Rezvani, Ye Ethan Li, Rafet Basar,Hind Rafei, Mayra Shanley, Sunil Acharya, Luis Muniz and Bin Liu
Nick Navin, Ph.D.
Nicholas Navin, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor
Systems Biology
The Grady F. Saunders, Ph.D. Distinguished Professorship for Molecular Biology
Aislyn Schalck and Dr. Navin
Quarter 2 (December 2022–February 2023)
Ronald A. DePinho, M.D.
Ronald A. DePinho, M.D.
Professor
Cancer Biology and Genomic Medicine Research
Harry Graves Burkhart III Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Research
Nathan Fowler, M.D.
Nathan Fowler, M.D.
Clinical Professor
Lymphoma-Myeloma
David S. Hong, M.D.
David S. Hong, M.D.
Professor
Investigations Cancer Therapeutics
Douglas E. Johnson Professorship
Dr. Hong and his team
Raghu Kalluri, M.D., Ph.D., and Yang Chen, Ph.D.
Dr. Kalluri and his team
Raghu Kalluri, M.D., Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, Cancer Biology
Frederick F. Becker Distinguished University Chair
Yang Chen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Translational Molecular Pathology
Betty Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
Betty Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
Neurosurgery
Front row (left to right): Wen Jiang, M.D., Ph.D.; Betty Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
Second row (left to right): Yifan Wang, Ph.D.; MinJeong Kang, Ph.D.; Thomas Gallup
Third row (left to right): Kristin Huntoon, M.D, D.O.; Shiyan Dong, Ph.D.
Fourth row (left to right): JongHoon Ha, Ph.D.; DaeYong Lee, Ph.D.
Han Liang, Ph.D., and Zhicheng Zhou, Ph.D.
Han Liang, Ph.D.
Professor
Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
Barnhart Family Distinguished Professorship in Targeted Therapies
Zhicheng Zhou, Ph.D.
Instructor
Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
The team meeting virtually
Quarter 3 (March–May 2023)
Tina Cascone, M.D., Ph.D., Ara Vaporciyan, M.D., and John Heymach, M.D., Ph.D.
Tina Cascone, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Thoracic Head Neck Medical Oncology
Ara Vaporciyan, M.D.
Professor and Chair
Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
John V. Heymach, M.D., Ph.D.
Chair, Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology
Professor, Cancer Biology
David Bruton, Jr. Chair
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus nivolumab with or without ipilimumab in operable non-small cell lung cancer: the phase 2 platform NEOSTAR trial
Ghayas Issa, M.D.
The team, including co-author Branko Cuglievan, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Hagop Kantarjian (not pictured) is also a co-author.
Ghayas Issa, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Leukemia and Genomic Medicine
The menin inhibitor revumenib in KMT2A-rearranged or NPM1-mutant leukaemia
Xiaoguang Liu, Ph.D., Junjie Chen, Ph.D., and Boyi Gan, Ph.D.
Xiaoguang Liu, Ph.D.
Instructor
Junjie Chen, Ph.D.
Chair
Experimental Radiation Oncology
Boyi Gan, Ph.D.
Professor
Experimental Radiation Oncology and Molecular and Cellular Oncology
N.G. and Helen T. Hawkins Distinguished Professorship for Cancer Research
Co-authors: Litong Nie, Yilei Zhang, Yuelong Yan, Chao Wang, Medina Colic, Amber Horbath, Xiong Chen, Guang Lei, Chao Mao, Shiqi Wu, Li Zhuang, M. James You, Traver Hart
The Gan Lab, left to right: Chao Mao, Guang Lei, Hyemin Lee, Yilei Zhang, Boyi Gan, Yuelong Yan, Pranavi Koppula, Xiaoguang Liu and Weijie Cheng
Guillermina Lozano, Ph.D.
Left to right: Gigi Lozano, Ph.D., and Jovanka Gencel-Augusto, Ph.D. (first author)
Guillermina Lozano, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor
Genetics
Hubert L. Olive Stringer Distinguished Chair in Oncology in Honor of Sue Gribble Stringer
Quarter 4 (June–August 2023)
Joe Y. Chang, M.D., Ph.D., and John V. Heymach, M.D., Ph.D.
Joe Y. Chang, M.D., Ph.D., FASTRO
Professor, Radiation Oncology
Director, Body Stereotactic Program
Texas 4000 Distinguished Professorship
John V. Heymach, M.D., Ph.D.
Chair, Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology
Professor, Cancer Biology
David Bruton, Jr. Chair
Ken Chen, Ph.D.
Ken Chen, Ph.D.
Professor
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
Yanshuo Chu, Ph.D., and Linghua Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Pan-cancer T cell atlas links a cellular stress response state to immunotherapy resistance
Yanshuo Chu, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Linghua Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Genomic Medicine
Jiexi Li, Ph.D., Ronald DePinho, M.D.
Jiexi Li, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ronald A. DePinho, M.D.
Professor
Cancer Biology and Genomic Medicine Research
Harry Graves Burkhart III Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Research
Histone demethylase KDM5D upregulation drives sex differences in colon cancer
Nicholas Navin, Ph.D.
A spatially resolved single-cell genomic atlas of the adult human breast
Nicholas Navin, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor
Systems Biology and Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
The Grady F. Saunders, PhD Distinguished Professorship for Molecular Biology
Luigi Perelli, M.D., Ph.D., and Giannicola Genovese, M.D.
Luigi Perelli, M.D., Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Giannicola Genovese, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Genomic Medicine Research
Yu Qian, Ph.D., and John V. Heymach, M.D., Ph.D.
Yu Qian, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
John V. Heymach, M.D., Ph.D.
Chair, Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology
Professor, Cancer Biology
David Bruton, Jr. Chair
Jason Westin, M.D.
Jason Robert Westin, M.D.
Associate Professor
Lymphoma - Myeloma
Timothy Yap, M.B.B.S., Ph.D.
Camonsertib in DNA damage response-deficient advanced solid tumors: phase 1 trial results
Timothy Yap, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., FRCP
Professor
Investigational Cancer Therapeutics