Sponsored Insight
Sponsored content by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Meaningful scientific discoveries — those that transform how we conduct research or treat disease — aren’t made by following the status quo. They are made by passionate scientists pushing the boundaries of their field to answer the most important questions. In many cases, they are made by researchers on the brink of launching their careers.
Since 2017, STAT has honored these unheralded heroes by naming them STAT Wunderkinds. As the presenting sponsor of this year’s STAT Wunderkinds, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and its Therapeutics Discovery division are proud to honor the 2019 STAT Wunderkinds class, who share in our common approach to making a meaningful difference in the world.
The Therapeutics Discovery division is a powerful drug discovery engine built within MD Anderson to develop the next generation of impactful cancer medicines. By working within the nation’s leading cancer center, the team can advance life-saving medicines from concept to clinical trial, all under one roof.
The Wunderkinds themselves represent the very forces that drive this work toward improving the lives of patients: innovation in our understanding of disease, harnessing the power of 21st century technology and pushing the boundaries of experimental techniques. Not surprisingly, the Therapeutics Discovery team holds themselves to the same level of rigorous science as these honorees do.
These Wunderkinds hold the same determination that led MD Anderson’s own, Jim Allison, Ph.D., to the discoveries that brought about immunotherapy — borne from his tireless quest to understand the immune system. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine winner was dogged in his efforts to understand T cells and to translate his findings to the clinic, which has since saved countless lives from cancer.
That willpower and perseverance is critical to impactful research that will transform our world. In a quest to create life-saving medicines, Therapeutics Discovery has assembled a multidisciplinary team of researchers, clinicians and drug development scientists marked by this same drive.
Many of the Therapeutics Discovery team members are rising stars in their own right, with innovative ideas and approaches to drug discovery that have directly led to new therapies now being evaluated in clinical trials. Therapeutics Discovery values this rare combination of unique skill sets and unwavering passion to improve the lives of patients.
While there have been promising advances for patients, there is important work left to be done. Thus, the Therapeutics Discovery team constantly seeks talented scientists, like the Wunderkinds, who can ensure innovative thinking is always happening. MD Anderson is thrilled to support and foster young researchers seeking to make an impact in the lives of cancer patients everywhere.
For more information about MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery team, visit mdanderson.org/therapeuticsdiscovery.