2026 Breakthrough Discoveries Program Award
Dr. Jianjun Zhang and collaborators Drs. Humam Kadara and Seyed Moghaddam were selected as recipients of MD Anderson’s Breakthrough Discoveries Program for their project, “Triple-I Intercept: Precision Interception of Lung Cancer Evolution Driven by Injury, Inflammation and IL-1 Signaling.” The team will receive up to $3 million per year for three years to advance innovative strategies for lung cancer interception. The award period begins September 1, 2026.
Details can be found here: https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/what-is-next-in-cancer-research.h00-159858501.html
2026 Review Paper on Lung Cancer Screening and Interception
Dr. Jianjun Zhang and collaborators published a review in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology highlighting innovative approaches to lung cancer screening and interception and emerging strategies for identifying and intercepting lung cancer at its earliest stages.
Details can be found here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41571-026-01131-4?utm_source=chatgpt.com
2025 Cancer Cell Study on Lung Precancer Interception
Dr. Jianjun Zhang and collaborators published a study in Cancer Cell revealing the molecular and immune evolution of lung adenocarcinoma precursors and identifying TIM-3 as a potential therapeutic target for lung cancer interception. The study provides new insights into how lung precancers progress toward invasive cancer and highlights opportunities for early intervention.
Details can be found here: https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108(25)00162-X
2024 Hearst Health Prize Finalist
The MD Anderson Data Science Team, under the leadership of Dr. Jia Wu, a critical investigator in the Lung Cancer Interception Program led by Dr. Jianjun Zhang, was selected as one of two finalists on June 4th.
Details can be found here: https://www.mdanderson.org/research/departments-labs-institutes/programs-centers/lung-cancer-interception-program/news-and-updates.html
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Research Areas
Find out about the four types of research taking place at UT MD Anderson.