Â鶹ӳ»­

HOUSTON ¨D Â鶹ӳ»­ MD Anderson Cancer Center honored more than 100 faculty members Thursday night during its annual Celebration of Faculty Excellence awards ceremony, recognizing commitment to cancer research, patient care, professional mentorship and development of the next generation of clinicians and scientists.

¡°The excellence of these awardees exemplifies the leading standards for which MD Anderson is globally renowned,¡± said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. ¡°I am inspired by all they do on behalf of our patients, who are the ultimate beneficiaries of their dedication and expertise.¡±

During the celebration, MD Anderson announced promotions of 68 faculty members to the academic rank of professor, named six early-career Faculty Scholars and recognized 42 Faculty Honorees for their leadership in quality improvement and patient safety, research excellence, community outreach, education and mentorship advancement. Culminating the evening¡¯s festivities, six faculty members were awarded MD Anderson¡¯s most prestigious endowed faculty awards: the Jack and Beverly Randall Prize for Excellence in Cancer Research, the John Mendelsohn Award for Faculty Leadership, the R. Lee Clark Prize and the Shirley Stein Scientific Endowed Research Award.

Jack and Beverly Randall Prize for Excellence in Cancer Research
Created in 2011 by MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors (BOV) member, Jack Randall, and his wife, Beverly, the Jack and Beverly Randall Prize for Excellence in Cancer Research fosters innovative thinking and groundbreaking ideas in cancer research and care. This $100,000 award honors researchers and clinicians who demonstrate extraordinary foresight, ingenuity and a commitment to excellence. The prize alternates annually between supporting researchers and clinicians. The 2025 recipient is:

• , chair, Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology

Heymach is internationally recognized as a leading physician-scientist whose research focuses on investigating mechanisms of therapeutic resistance to targeted agents, understanding the regulation of angiogenesis in lung cancer and developing biomarkers for targeted agents and immunotherapy. These advances have laid the foundation for new standard approaches to tailoring both targeted agents and immunotherapy for lung cancer, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) driven by EGFR, HER2, KRAS and RET oncogenic mutations. Heymach and his team have transformed the understanding of lung cancer and how it is treated, ushering in a new era of more personalized, effective therapies for NSCLC and small cell lung cancer, two of the most common and fatal cancers.

John Mendelsohn Award for Faculty Leadership
Established in 2019, the John Mendelsohn Award for Faculty Leadership honors the legacy of the late John Mendelsohn, M.D., the third president of MD Anderson. Mendelsohn inspired achievements in research-driven patient care, directed expansion of clinical and research facilities, and forged a research program focused on translating scientific findings to patient care and prevention. This annual $5,000 award recognizes a faculty member who embodies Mendelsohn¡¯s leadership, scholarship and values. The 2025 recipient is:

• , chair, Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology

As program director of the Radiation Oncology Residency and Fellowship Programs, Das has built a supportive, nurturing environment while promoting the highest level of excellence in clinical training and research. He developed the Structured Clinical Curriculum ¡ª a model that has since been adopted by many residencies across the country ¡ª and he has launched initiatives such as the Network Education in Radiation Oncology (NERO) series for MD Anderson Cancer Network^? partners. As a clinical researcher, Das has focused on technical innovation and clinical trials for gastrointestinal cancers. He has helped establish national and international standards for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for anal and gastric cancers. Das currently serves as co-chair of a randomized National Cancer Institute¡¯s Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (NCI CTEP) phase II trial evaluating treatment de-escalation for anal cancer and serves as NRG Oncology group champion for an NCI CTEP trial evaluating immunotherapy for microsatellite unstable rectal cancer.

R. Lee Clark Prize
Established in 2016 through the generous support of Jeanne F. Shelby¡¯s estate, the R. Lee Clark Prize awards $5,000 to two MD Anderson faculty members each year ¡ª one focusing on clinical research and one in basic science/translational research ¡ª who model the dedication to scholarship, service and social responsibility embraced by the late R. Lee Clark, M.D., the first president of MD Anderson. The 2025 recipients are:

• , professor, Experimental Therapeutics
• , professor, Leukemia

Bast, the basic science/translational research awardee, has made invaluable contributions to MD Anderson and its patients throughout his four decades as a physician-scientist, primarily caring for patients with breast and ovarian cancers. He has conducted groundbreaking research in three areas that present major challenges in the treatment of ovarian cancer: late diagnosis, persistence of drug-resistant cancer cells and tumor dormancy. His pioneering work in these fields led to transformative advancements, improving care for patients with ovarian cancer worldwide. One of Bast¡¯s highest priorities is developing and mentoring scientists and physicians in clinical and translational research. From 2000-2023, he served as principal investigator for several T32 grants to train fellows in medical oncology, and also led MD Anderson¡¯s clinician scientist program, the Paul Calabresi Clinical Oncology Award, which developed the careers of 34 fellows and faculty. Additionally, Bast coordinated MD Anderson¡¯s Physician Scientist Program, which provides up to five years of 80% dedicated time for laboratory-based assistant professors to attain independent funding. Throughout his career at MD Anderson, Bast has trained and mentored more than 70 physicians and scientists.

Wierda, the clinical research awardee, serves in multiple leadership roles: chief of the Section of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), medical director of the Leukemia Center, executive medical director for Hematologic Services, executive medical director for Inpatient Medical Service and deputy department chair. Wierda¡¯s clinical research expertise focuses on immunotherapy, chemoimmunotherapy and small molecule inhibitor-based targeted therapy for CLL, as well as the assessment of immune response in this disease. His work has led to the development of new therapies for CLL and the discovery of correlations between patient outcomes and specific markers that may predict response. He has overseen the development and execution of numerous clinical trials, many of which have contributed to the approval of nearly all current FDA-approved therapies for CLL, including monoclonal antibodies, BTK inhibitors, BCL-2 inhibitors and CAR T therapies. Beyond these achievements, he has demonstrated exceptional service through leadership in institutional operations, pandemic response and faculty development. Wierda has also mentored numerous medical students, post-doctoral fellows and clinical fellows in research projects and in his clinic.

Shirley Stein Scientific Endowed Research Award
The Shirley Stein Scientific Endowed Research Award, created in 2014 by BOV member Gary Stein and his family, along with Life Member of the BOV Regina Rogers, acknowledges the exceptional clinical research conducted by faculty members with limited project resources. Two awardees ¡ª one clinician and one pathologist ¡ª each receive $10,000 to assist in generating preliminary data that will enhance their chances of securing larger grants and federal funding. The 2025 recipients are:

• , assistant professor, Anatomic Pathology
• , assistant professor, Neurosurgery

Sweeney¡¯s research investigates rare and diagnostically difficult presentations of breast pathologies, molecular pathways and novel genetic alterations in breast malignancies with the potential for targetable therapy. He collaborates extensively on multiple breast cancer-related research projects and clinical trials. Sweeney¡¯s research is impactful to daily breast pathology practice, including targeted therapy in breast cancer and in addressing mischaracterized unique presentations of disease that can lead to delayed or inappropriate treatment.

Young is a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon who serves as head of the Endovascular Neurosurgical Oncology Program. As a surgeon-scientist, Young focuses on the molecular interface between the blood vessels in the brain and spine, as well as the application of this knowledge for cerebrovascular diseases and neuro-oncology. His translational research laboratory investigates and improves the use of minimally invasive endovascular techniques for diagnosis, such as liquid biopsies for glioblastomas and other malignant brain tumors, as well as an emphasis on tailored treatments.