- Research Training
- Predoctoral Training
- CPRIT Graduate Scholar Program
- Current Students
CPRIT Graduate Scholars
CONGRATULATIONS 2025-2026 SCHOLARS
We are excited to announce the 2025-2026 MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Graduate Scholar Award recipients!
This prestigious award is granted annually to exceptional post-candidacy graduate students mentored by faculty at MD Anderson. Recipients receive a stipend, tuition coverage, fringe benefits, and a modest travel allowance, all while being trained in internationally recognized research facilities to enhance their research experience.
The CPRIT Research Training Program focuses on fundamental and innovative cancer research training. It includes the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Program, CPRIT TRIUMPH Postdoctoral Program, and CPRIT Summer Undergraduate Programs, directed by Drs. Khandan Keyomarsi and Stephanie Watowich, who designed the program for post-candidacy graduate students attending the MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School under the direct mentorship of MD Anderson Cancer Center-appointed faculty.
We take pride in these emerging leaders whose dedication inspires us all. Let’s congratulate our awardees on this remarkable achievement!
Current Students
Current Graduate Scholars
Timothy Bi
Dr. Pavan Bachireddy Laboratory - Immunology
tmbi@mdanderson.org- ORCiD: 0000-0002-5237-7024
CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2026-Present
Timothy Bi earned his B.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Washington in 2018. After graduating, Timothy worked for two years as a research technician in the lab of Dr. Evan Newell at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, where he studied the properties of antigen-specific T cells in cancer using mass cytometry and single-cell genomics. This was Timothy’s introduction to cancer immunology and bioinformatics, marking a significant turning point in his research interests and career trajectory. In 2021, Timothy matriculated into the University of Texas Medical Scientist Training Program at Houston. Upon completion of his preclinical training in 2023, he began his PhD training in the lab of Dr. Pavan Bachireddy as part of the Immunology program at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, where he studies the molecular determinants of response and/or resistance to immunotherapy in myeloid leukemias.
Timothy Bi's Research Interests:
Timothy’s current research focuses on applying cutting-edge single-cell multiomic approaches to elucidate genetic and non-genetic mechanisms of resistance to bispecific antibodies in myeloid malignancies.
Kevin Bowman
Dr. Michael Green Laboratory - Therapeutics and Pharmacology
kbowman@mdanderson.org
CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2026-Present
Kevin earned his B.S. in Biochemistry with minors in Chemistry and Mathematics from the University at Buffalo in 2023. As an undergraduate, he worked in Dr. Francisco Hernandez-Ilizaliturri’s lab at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, studying the combination treatment of OPN-51107 and Venetoclax in Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Kevin joined MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences for his PhD in the Therapeutics and Pharmacology (TAP) program in the lab of Dr. Michael R. Green, studying transcriptional/epigenetic chemical inducers of proximity (TCIPs) in DLBCL. Kevin also serves as the TAP program student seminar series coordinator.
Kevin Bowman's Research Interests:
Kevin’s research focuses on epigenetic therapeutics in lymphoma, specifically studying the effects of TCIPs in patient-derived DLBCL models.
Reem Elghaish
Dr. Nicholas Navin Laboratory - Quantitative Science
raelghaish@mdanderson.org- ORCiD: 0009-0006-6642-5230
CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2026-Present
Reem Elghaish earned her B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Misr University for Science andTechnology (2019) and her M.Sc. in Genomics and Bioinformatics from Zewail City of Scienceand Technology (2022). Her early research focused on machine learning and computationalapproaches to analyze complex genomic datasets across neurodegenerative disorders and aging.Currently, Reem is a Ph.D. candidate in the Quantitative Sciences Program at The University ofTexas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences,mentored by Dr. Nicholas Navin. Her doctoral research integrates single-cell genomics,phylogenetics, and computational modeling to map tumor evolution, intratumoral heterogeneity,and metastatic adaptation. Specifically, she investigates how copy-number alterations shape clonaltranscriptional states across distinct metastatic microenvironments. Her achievements have beenrecognized with the George M. Stancel, Ph.D. Fellowship in Biomedical Sciences.
Reem Elghaish's Research Interests:
In the Navin Lab, Reem develops and applies single-cell multi-omics and computationalapproaches to reconstruct tumor clonal evolution and characterize transcriptional adaptationduring metastatic progression. Her long-term goal is to uncover persistent molecularvulnerabilities that can guide improved therapeutic strategies for metastatic cancer.
Sarah Ghalayini
Dr. Roberto Fuentes Laboratory - Therapeutics and Pharmacology
sghalayini@mdanderson.org- ORCiD: 0000-0002-9152-5456
CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2026-Present
Sarah Ghalayini is an MD/PhD candidate in the Medical Scientist Training Program at UTHealth Houston. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry with Highest Honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2020. During her undergraduate training, she conducted multidisciplinary research spanning cancer nanotechnology, protein engineering, and biomaterials at Georgia Tech, Emory University, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Sarah is pursuing her PhD in Therapeutics and Pharmacology under the mentorship of Drs. Rob Fuentes and Albert Koong. Her research has been recognized through several honors, including the Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences T32 Predoctoral Fellowship and the Oates Family Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Endowment Award.
Sarah Ghalayini's Research Interests:
Sarah's research focuses on understanding how plasma membrane organization regulates CD8 T-cell function in solid tumors. By integrating tumor immunology with membrane biophysics, she aims to identify therapeutic strategies to engineer more effective cellular therapies and enhance anti-tumor immunity.
Spring Hwang
Dr. Jian Hu Laboratory - Cancer Biology
syhwang@mdanderson.org- ORCiD: 0009-0003-8273-2669
CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2025-Present
Following graduation, Spring worked as a Research Associate at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Dr. Gislaine Martins’ lab, studying the role of Blimp1 in inflammatory bowel disease using reporter mouse models.
Spring then joined Dr. Timothy Huang’s lab at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and investigated the role of TREM2 deficiency in exosome-mediated tau propagation in Alzheimer’s disease, co-authoring a paper in Molecular Neurodegeneration. Spring matriculated into the Cancer Biology PhD program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2022. She is pursuing her doctoral training under the mentorship of Dr. Jian Hu with co-mentorship from Dr. Jason Huse. Her graduate research focuses on the tumor microenvironment of glioblastoma. Her research is supported by the American Legion Auxiliary Fellowship in Cancer Research and the Roberta M. and Jean M. Worsham Endowed Fellowship.
Spring Hwang's Research Interests:
Richa Nayak
Dr. Yejing Ge Laboratory - Cancer Biology
rnayak@mdanderson.org- ORCiD: 0000-0002-0585-9784
CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2025-Present
John Sanchez
Dr. Deepa Sampath Laboratory- Therapeutics and Pharmacology
jrsanchez@mdanderson.org-ORCiD: 0000-0002-5362-1025
CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2025-Present
Sarah Schneider
Dr. Stephanie Watowich Laboratory- Immunology and Cancer Biology
sschneider1@mdanderson.org-ORCiD: 0000-0001-7027-7978
CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2024-Present
Guillaume Trusz
Dr. Michael Curran Laboratory- Immunology
gtrusz@mdanderson.org-ORCiD: 0009-0009-5176-0070
CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2026-Present
Guillaume received his B.S. in Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology from UCLA in 2015 and completed his M.S. at UCSF in 2018, with a focus on Biomedical Imaging. At UCSF, he studied in the lab of Dr. Henry VanBrocklin, using microPET/CT imaging to assess the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of theranostic nanoparticles in various preclinical tumor models. He later joined Coherus Biosciences as a Clinical Research Associate and worked at LakePharma as a Scientist I, where he focused on hybridoma-based antibody discovery. Guillaume is pursuing doctoral training with a primary focus on Immunology and a secondary focus in Genetics and Epigenetics in the lab of Dr. Michael Curran. Since joining GSBS in 2021, Guillaume has received numerous awards and has served on the Immunology Student Committee, the Immunology Steering Committee, and the UT System Student Advisory Council.
Guillaume Trusz's Research Interests:
Guillaume focuses his studies on T cell dysfunction in the context of differential PD-1 signaling as well as novel immune checkpoint protein-protein interactions.
Annette Wu
Dr. Wen Jiang- Immunology
awu4@mdanderson.org-ORCiD: 0009-0005-8343-4748
CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2026-Present
Annette Wu earned her B.Sc. in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences from the University of Western Ontario in 2023, graduating with honours. During her undergraduate education, Annette studied pediatric glioma tumorigenesis as a summer research student in the Tak Mak lab at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. After graduation, Annette began her Ph.D. studies at MD Anderson UTHealth GSBS in fall 2023, focusing on the development of antibody-drug conjugates for pancreatic cancer immunotherapy. Her research has earned her several prestigious awards, including the Sylvan Rodriguez Foundation Scholarship honoring George M. Stancel, Ph.D.; the Marilyn and Frederick R. Lummis, Jr., M.D., Fellowship in the Biomedical Sciences; the John J. Kopchick Fellowship; and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Canada Graduate Research Scholarship.
Annette Wu's Research Interests:
Annette's research aims to understand the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of a novel antibody conjugate that reprograms myeloid cells to improve T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity and response to immune checkpoint blockade.
Helpful Links
GSBS Forms & Paperwork Templates (committee meeting, petitition for defense, change of advisor, program affiliation forms)
GSBS Travel Awards (link to form & instructions)
GSBS Scholarships & Awards (award and scholarship details)
Our Labs
Learn more about our faculty and research taking place in our labs.
Conferences
View conferences available for continuing education credit.