Fiscal Year 2026 Awardees
Research is a cornerstone of UT 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 UT MD Anderson’s world-renowned scientists.
Quarter 1 (September–November 2025)
Keiko Akagi and Maura Gillison
Keiko Akagi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology
Maura Gillison, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology
Left to right: Bo Jiang, Weihong Xiao, Nusrat Khan, Maura Gillison, Joe Dan Dunn, Keiko Akagi
Rodabe Amaria
Long-Term Survival and Biomarker Analysis Evaluating Neoadjuvant Plus Adjuvant Relatlimab (anti-LAG3) and Nivolumab (anti-PD1) in Patients With Resectable Melanoma
Rodabe Amaria, M.D.
Professor
Melanoma Medical Oncology
Adam Grippin and Steven Lin
Adam Grippin, M.D., Ph.D.
Radiation Oncology
Steven H. Lin, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor
Radiation Oncology
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines sensitize tumors to immune checkpoint blockade
John Heymach
John V. Heymach, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology
David Bruton, Jr. Chair
Camilo Jimenez
Camilo Jimenez, M.D.
Professor
Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders
Scott Kopetz and Van Karlyle Morris
Scott Kopetz, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, GI Medical Oncology
Del and Dennis McCarthy Distinguished Professorship in Gastrointestinal Cancer Research
Van Karlyle Morris, M.D.
Associate Professor
Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology
Xiuning Le
Xiuning Le, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology
Nicholas Navin
Coalescing single-cell genomes and transcriptomes to decode breast cancer progression
Nicholas Navin, Ph.D.
Chair and Professor
Systems Biology
The Grady F. Saunders, Ph.D. Distinguished Professorship for Molecular Biology
Katy Rezvani
Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D.
Sally Cooper Murray Chair in Cancer Research
Head, Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation
Professor, Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
Xiling Shen
Vagal blockade of the brain-liver axis deters cancer-associated cachexia
Xiling Shen, Ph.D.
Professor
Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology
Jennifer Wargo
Jennifer Wargo, M.D.
Professor
Surgical Oncology and Genomic Med Research
Doctor R Lee Clark Professorship
Microbial signals in primary and metastatic brain tumors
Tim Yap
YAP/TEAD inhibitor VT3989 in solid tumors: A phase 1/2 trial
Timothy Yap, M.B.B.S., Ph.D.
Professor
Investigational Cancer Therapeutics
Jiyhe Yun and Tianshi Feng
Jihye Yun, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Genetics
Tianshi Feng, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Genetics
Fructose and glucose from sugary drinks enhance colorectal cancer metastasis via SORD
Top (Left to Right): Tianshi Feng, Chi Zhang, Brandon Song, Zeyu Jin, Yuqing Zhang; Bottom (Left to Right): Keshav Chandrasekhara, Jihye Yun, Yanlin Liu