The next breakthrough in cancer research probably doesn’t look like a breakthrough yet. It looks like a researcher asking a question no one has answered before. It looks like months of testing, refining, and trying again. It looks like an idea with the potential to improve how cancer is prevented, detected, treated, or survived, long before anyone knows where it will lead.

The MCW Cancer Center recently awarded 10 graduate and postdoctoral fellowships to trainees bringing these promising ideas to life. Supporting researchers at pivotal stages of their careers is a cornerstone of the Center’s mission, ensuring talented scientists have the resources, mentorship, and dedicated time to pursue the ideas that will shape the future of cancer research.

The Cancer Center’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowship programs help scientists thrive at two critical stages of a research career. Graduate fellowships help students establish a strong foundation in cancer research, while postdoctoral fellowships provide early-career scientists with the opportunity to deepen their expertise, pursue independent lines of investigation, and prepare for careers as research leaders. And through initiatives like Audaxity, which supports trainees at every stage of their research journey, the entire community plays a role in investing not only in today’s discoveries, but in the people behind tomorrow’s.

This year’s awardees are advancing projects spanning immunotherapy, advanced cancer imaging, treatment-related cardiovascular disease, survivorship, blood cancers, and the molecular mechanisms that drive cancer growth, showcasing the breadth of discovery taking place across the MCW Cancer Center.

Meet the Trainees Driving Cancer Discovery

Wenjing Dong, PhD

Investigating Epigenetic Regulation in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Cancer Survivors

Cancer treatments are helping more patients live longer than ever before, but some lifesaving therapies can leave survivors with lasting heart damage. Working in the lab of Chun Liu, PhD, Dr. Dong is investigating why doxorubicin, a chemotherapy drug widely used to treat breast cancer and many other cancers, can injure the heart. Her research explores how the drug alters gene activity in heart cells, with the goal of identifying new ways to protect cardiac health without reducing its cancer-fighting power.

“Doxorubicin remains one of the most effective treatments for many cancers, but its effects on the heart can limit its use. I hope this work helps uncover new ways to protect cardiac health without compromising the treatment’s effectiveness,” said Wenjing Dong.

Kaleigh Kozak

SF3B1 and Transcriptomic Control of Angiogenesis

Blood vessels are among the first healthy tissues exposed to chemotherapy, yet little is known about how cancer treatment affects their ability to repair and regenerate. In the lab of Ziqing Liu, PhD, Kozak is studying how a protein called SF3B1 regulates the formation of blood vessels and how chemotherapy disrupts that process. By understanding how healthy blood vessels respond to treatment, her research could help guide the development of therapies that are both more effective against cancer and less harmful to healthy tissue.

“Because endothelial cells are among the first cells affected by chemotherapy, it’s important to understand how they respond to treatment. I hope this work helps guide the development of therapies that are both more effective and better tolerated by patients,” Kaleigh Kozak.

Sarah Reed-Thryselius, MPH

Understanding Financial Toxicity Experiences among Breast Cancer Survivors and Primary Support Persons

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence and death, but many patients struggle to stay on treatment. Working in the laboratory of Kathryn Flynn, PhD, Reed-Thryselius is examining how financial toxicity, or the financial burden caused by cancer, affects patients receiving AET and their primary support person. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, her work seeks to better understand whether financial stress influences treatment adherence and survivorship.

“I hypothesize that sources of financial toxicity in the trial could be attributed to increased costs due to medication changes/supportive therapies, symptom changes, or decreased productivity as patients begin to take their medication more regularly,” said Sarah Reed-Thryselius.

Rajdip Basnet

Fli1 Regulates B-cell Pathogenicity in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease (cGVHD)

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is one of the most serious long-term complications for patients who undergo a stem cell transplant, often affecting multiple organs and significantly impacting quality of life. Alongside mentor Xue-Zhong Yu, MBA, MS, MD, Basnet is investigating how a protein called Fli1 regulates the function of B cells, a type of immune cell, in cGVHD. By better understanding how these immune cells contribute to the disease, his research could help identify new approaches to improve long-term outcomes for transplant recipients.

“By identifying specific molecular pathways that drive pathogenic B-cell activation and IgG responses, my research may help support more targeted strategies to control harmful B-cell activity while preserving beneficial immune function and graft-versus-leukemia effects,” said Rajdip Basnet.

Ruth Woehlke, PhD

Shortwave Infrared Fluorescence Imaging for Vascular Phenotyping of Breast Cancer Progression and Therapy Stratification

Triple-negative breast cancer can be difficult to treat, making it important to identify as early as possible whether a therapy is working. Under the guidance of Amit Joshi, PhD, Dr. Woehlke is studying whether changes in the blood vessels that support tumor growth can serve as early indicators of how the cancer is progressing or responding to treatment. By validating a new imaging approach called shortwave infrared imaging, she aims to establish new biomarkers that could help guide treatment decisions and improve surgeons’ ability to visualize tumor margins during surgery.

“Through this fellowship, I also hope to gain a deeper understanding of how advanced imaging technologies can be translated from the engineering laboratory into clinically meaningful tools for cancer care,” said Ruth Woehlke.

Coneria Nansubuga

Deciphering Endothelial Cardiomyocyte Communication in Chemotherapy-induced Cardiotoxicity Using Vascularized Cardiac Organoids

Healthy heart function depends on constant communication between heart muscle cells and the blood vessels that support them, but chemotherapy can disrupt that balance. Collaborating with a research team that includes Dr Liu, Andreas Beyer, PhD, and Nikki Lytle, PhD, Nansubuga is studying how the commonly used chemotherapy drug doxorubicin affects those cellular interactions. Her research could help identify new strategies to protect cardiovascular health during and after cancer treatment.

“We hope that by shedding light on the mechanisms that drive doxorubicin-induced cardiovascular toxicity, we will be able to explore new ways to mitigate the adverse chemotherapy side effects that so many patients experience, and in so doing, improve their quality of life,” Coneria Nansubuga.

Anupama Nair

Hypoxia Mediated T-cell Inactivation Through Biomolecular Condensation

Ovarian cancer often progresses rapidly because the low-oxygen environment surrounding the tumor weakens the body’s immune response, limiting the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Under the mentorship of Pradeep Chaluvally-Raghavan, PhD, Nair is studying how this environment exhausts T cells and prevents them from recognizing and attacking cancer cells. Her research explores whether targeting a specific RNA binding protein can restore T-cell function and improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy for ovarian cancer.

“This work has the potential to lead to innovative combination therapies that improve survival and offer new hope to women facing this devastating disease,” said Anupama Nair.

Michael LeClaire

PBRM1 as a Therapeutic Target and Mediator of Prostate Cancer Progression

Although hormone therapy is effective for many patients with advanced prostate cancer, the disease often becomes resistant to treatment and can progress to an aggressive form with few treatment options. Under the mentorship of Brian Smith, PhD, LeClaire is developing a highly selective inhibitor designed to slow the progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer while also preventing the emergence of neuroendocrine prostate cancer. By targeting both pathways, the research could help extend the effectiveness of current therapies and improve outcomes for patients with advanced disease.

“By targeting both pathways, I hope this work helps keep existing therapies effective for longer while reducing the risk of more aggressive disease. Even small advances in delaying treatment resistance could make a difference for patients with advanced prostate cancer,” said Michael LeClaire.

Fangfei Zhang

The Role of ATP5E in Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) in Development and Progression of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC)

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, due in part to the complex network of cells surrounding the tumor that help it grow and spread. Mentored by Gustavo Leone, PhD, and Subramaniam Malarkannan, PhD, Zhang is investigating how cancer-associated fibroblasts, specialized cells within the tumor environment, influence pancreatic cancer growth through changes in cellular metabolism. By identifying metabolic vulnerabilities within these supporting cells, the research could reveal new therapeutic strategies to slow the progression of pancreatic cancer.

“My goal is to better understand how changes in cancer-associated fibroblasts influence pancreatic tumor initiation and progression. I hope those insights help identify new therapeutic opportunities for patients with pancreatic cancer,” said Fangfei Zhang.

Mona Singh, PhD

SPHK1 Inhibition Drives B Cell Infiltration and Tertiary Lymphoid Structure Formation in Ovarian Cancer

Although immunotherapy has transformed the treatment of many cancers, it has had limited success in ovarian cancer because the immune system often struggles to recognize and attack the disease. Under the mentorship of Sunila Pradeep, PhD, Dr. Singh is studying how a protein called SPHK1 suppresses the body’s immune response within ovarian tumors. By understanding how blocking this protein may help activate the immune system, the research could identify new ways to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy for ovarian cancer.

“I'm passionate about translating laboratory discoveries into therapies that can make a meaningful difference for patients. My hope is that this work helps expand treatment options for women with ovarian cancer,” said Mona Singh.

Learn more about how the Cancer Center is supporting the next generation.