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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 , 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

Hong Anh (Nikki) Cao

Dr. Daniel Frigo Laboratory - Molecular Translational Biology

pcao1@mdanderson.org-?

CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2024-Present

Hong Anh (Nikki) Cao earned her B.Sc. in Life Sciences from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2018, graduating with First Class Honors. Following graduation, she served as a Research Assistant at Duke-NUS Medical School, where she investigated the JAK/STAT3 pathway and ICMT in pancreatic cancer. Nikki began her Ph.D. studies at MD Anderson UTHealth GSBS in Fall 2021, focusing on advanced prostate cancer under the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Frigo. Her research has earned her several prestigious awards, including the Marilyn and Frederick R. Lummis, Jr., MD, Fellowship in the Biomedical Sciences and the Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholarship in Cancer Research.

Hong Anh (Nikki) Cao 's Research Interests:

Nikki has identified adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) as a key factor that enables castration-resistant prostate cancer cells (CRPCs) to resist ferroptosis. Her research aims to evaluate new therapeutic strategies that can overcome drug resistance in CRPCs and new biomarkers that could guide future clinical trials.

Pengju Gong

Dr. Chunru Lin Laboratory - Cancer Biology

pgong1@mdanderson.org- 0000-0002-8168-7187

CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2025-Present

Pengju Gong earned his B.Sc. in Clinical Medicine (MD-equivalent) from Wuhan University, China, in 2019 with graduation honors. He subsequently completed oncology residency training in China while earning a Master��s in Clinical Oncology. His background bridges direct patient care, translational oncology research, and clinical research. His early work in breast cancer focused on identifying cancer-driving genes, elucidating molecular mechanisms, and exploring potential biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and targeted therapy. In Fall 2021, Pengju began his Ph.D. studies at MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) under the mentorship of Dr. Chunru Lin. His research has been recognized with several prestigious honors, including the Dr. John J. Kopchick Fellowship (2024 & 2025) and the GSBS Student Travel Award.

Pengju Gong's 's Research Interests:

Pengju is currently investigating the interplay between systemic immunity and cancer treatment.

Spring Hwang

Dr. Jian Hu Laboratory - Cancer Biology

syhwang@mdanderson.org-

CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2025-Present

Spring earned her B.S. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Film and Television from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2019. As an undergraduate, she conducted research in Dr. Jeffrey H. Miller��s lab, where she examined mutational hotspots in E. coli caused by DNA-damaging agents. Her work contributed to a publication in Mutation Research.
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 �鶹ӳ�� 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:

Spring��s research centers on understanding how the RNA-binding protein Quaking (Qki) governs antigen processing and presentation pathways in tumor-associated macrophages of Glioblastoma. Her goal is to identify strategies to restore macrophage function and enhance immunotherapy efficacy in glioblastoma.

Richa Nayak

Dr. Yejing Ge Laboratory - Cancer Biology

rnayak@mdanderson.org-

CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2025-Present

Richa received her B.S. (Honors) in Microbiology from the University of Delhi and M.S. in Human Genomics from Panjab University. She joined the MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2021 and is pursuing her PhD in the Genetics and Epigenetics Program. Richa began her PhD training in Dr. Jichao Chen��s lab in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, where she worked on developing a functional genomics platform to dissect complex developmental processes in the mouse lungs in vivo at single-cell resolution. After Dr. Chen��s move to another institution, she transitioned to Dr. Yejing Ge��s lab in the Department of Cancer Biology, where she investigates how transposable elements, especially retrotransposons, are regulated in adult stem cells using murine skin as a model. She has contributed to publications on transposon regulation in the contexts of both regeneration and cancer. Her research is supported by the Schissler Foundation Fellowship and the Charlene Kopchick Fellowship. Richa also serves on several GSBS committees, including the Student Success and Well-Being Committee and the G&E programs�� Steering and Newsletter Committees.

Richa Nayak's Research Interests:

In the Ge lab, Richa studies how retrotransposons are regulated by various epigenetic mechanisms in adult stem cells using murine skin as a model. She uses a combination of mouse genetics, molecular biology, and bioinformatics approaches to understand these complex regulatory relationships and the consequences of deregulation in diseases like cancer and neurodegeneration.

Yutao Qi

Dr. Ronald DePinho Laboratory- Cancer Biology

yqi3@mdanderson.org-

CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2025-Present

Yutao received Master��s degree from Tsinghua University in China, where he gained his first intense training in Biochemistry and Structural Biology. After graduation, he was further trained in Systems/Synthetic Biology (CalTech) and Cancer & Cell Biology (UT GSBS). In Dr. Ronald A. DePinho��s laboratory, Yutao is using multidisciplinary approaches including newly established mouse models to study tissue homeostasis, tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis. He expects his findings to contribute to cancer diagnosis, prevention and treatment.

Yutao Qi's Research Interests:

Yutao��s research in DePinho lab is focused on exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying dysregulated cancer metabolism in colorectal tumorigenesis.

John Sanchez

Dr. Deepa Sampath Laboratory- Therapeutics and Pharmacology

jrsanchez@mdanderson.org-

CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2025-Present

John Sanchez earned his B.S. in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from St. Mary��s University in San Antonio in 2021. Upon graduation, he joined the Vadlamudi Lab as a scholar in the Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at �鶹ӳ�� Health Science Center at San Antonio. There, he studied Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), focusing on the mechanistic effects of SMIP-34��a novel small molecule inhibitor of PELP1.During his time in the Vadlamudi Lab, John identified several chemotherapies whose cytotoxic activities were enhanced by SMIP-34, prompting further studies into potential combination therapies. His contributions to defining the cytotoxic effects of SMIP-34 supported multiple projects and led to his inclusion as a co-author on several publications.In 2022, John enrolled as a Ph.D. student at �鶹ӳ�� MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, joining the Therapeutics and Pharmacology program. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate under the primary mentorship of Dr. Deepa Sampath, with Dr. Thandapani Palaniraja serving as his co-mentor. His graduate research centers on uncovering the mechanistic effects and therapeutic potential of RPT1G, a novel NAMPT inhibitor, in T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL).John��s research has been supported by the NIH T32-funded Academy Training Program (IMSD), the Floyd Haar, MD Endowed Memorial Scholarship, and Remedy Plan Therapeutics.

John Sanchez's Research Interests:

John��s research interests lie in drug discovery, with a particular focus on understanding mechanisms of therapeutic resistance and identifying cancer vulnerabilities that can be targeted. His current work aims to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of RPT1G in relapsed/refractory T-ALL and to identify genes whose loss sensitizes cells to RPT1G, potentially uncovering novel targets for combination therapy.

Sarah Schneider

Dr. Stephanie Watowich Laboratory- Immunology and Cancer Biology

sschneider1@mdanderson.org-

CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2024-Present

Sarah received her B.A. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Clark University. As an undergraduate, Sarah worked in the lab of Dr. Francis Ka-Ming Chan at UMass Medical School where she studied the role of CYLD in formation of the RIP Kinase necroptosis complex. Next, Sarah assessed immune response and hematopoiesis alterations in patients participating in cardiovascular stem-cell therapy clinical trials at the Regenerative Medicine Research Biorepository Core Lab at the Texas Heart Institute. Sarah then joined MD Anderson��s Advanced Cytometry & Sorting Facility where she developed workflows for computational analysis of high-dimensional cytometry data under the mentorship of Dr. Karen Clise-Dwyer. While at the Advanced Cytometry & Sorting Facility, Sarah collaborated on projects examining aberrant hematopoiesis and immune development in myelodysplastic syndromes and leukemia. Additionally, she collaborated with the lab of her current graduate mentor, Dr. Stephanie Watowich, studying cellular mechanisms in immune-checkpoint inhibitor mediated colitis and anti-tumor response. Sarah joined the GSBS in 2021 and is currently pursuing a PhD in Immunology with a secondary concentration in Cancer Biology in Dr. Watowich's lab. Sarah also serves on the GSBS Immunology Program Student Recruitment and CCIR Seminar Committees and is the Vice President of the regional cytometry group FlowTex.

Sarah Schneider's Research Interests:

Sarah studies the mechanisms by which innate immune cells and the gut microbiota contribute to immune checkpoint inhibitor mediated colitis as a means to mitigate this immune-related adverse event and promote anti-cancer immunity.

Ivana William

Dr. Michael Curran Laboratory- Immunology

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CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2024-Present

Ivana William earned her B.A. in Neuroscience with highest honors from Smith College in 2018. After graduation, she worked as a postgraduate associate in Dr. Nik Joshi��s lab at Yale University, where she utilized a novel genetically engineered mouse model to identify the mechanisms driving immune-related adverse events (irAEs) caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Curran where she is investigating the role of hypoxia in glioblastoma. Her work has been recognized with several notable honors, such as the American Association of University Women International Fellowship and the Fernando Aron Yarrito Scholarship. Beyond her research, Ivana is an active leader in her academic community having served on the GSBS Immunology Program Student Recruitment Committee and is a current member of the Immunology Program Student Committee, and the student representative on the Program Directors Committee.

Ivana William's Research Interests

In the Curran lab, Ivana studies the impact of tumor hypoxia reduction on anti-tumor immune response in glioblastoma tumors, aiming to uncover the mechanisms behind hypoxia-mediated resistance to therapy.

Haoyi Wu

Dr. Don Gibbons Laboratory -Immunology Program

hwu7@mdanderson.org-

CPRIT Graduate Scholar 2023-Present

Haoyi earned her Biochemistry (BS Honors) and French minor from �鶹ӳ�� at Austin in 2020. In UT Austin, Haoyi started her research career by joining the Virtual Drug Screening stream of the Freshman Research Initiative program. In the program, she learned basic experimental design, in vitro molecular biology techniques, and in silico drug screening using GOLD/ICM. Haoyi then mentored new students in the program before starting her position as an undergraduate research assistant at Dr. Yan Zhang��s lab. In the lab, Haoyi worked on elucidating the binding mechanisms of a covalent inhibitor of a CTD phosphatase as a potential glioblastoma treatment. In the summer of 2019, Haoyi worked in Dr. David Tweardy��s laboratory as part of the CPRIT-CURE Summer Undergraduate Program. In Dr. Tweardy��s lab, Haoyi helped determine the binding-specificity of a STAT3 inhibitor. This summer experience helped Haoyi identify her interest in cancer research. Haoyi immediately transitioned into PhD studies after her undergraduate education. Haoyi is now a part of the Immunology Program at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Haoyi Wu's Research Interests:
In the Gibbons Lab, Haoyi works on identifying novel mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance in non-small cell lung cancer for therapeutic targeting.

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