Board of Directors (2026-2029)
Sheila A. Stewart, PhD, is professor and vice chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at Washington University and associate director for Basic Science at the Siteman Cancer Center. She is deeply committed to mentoring junior faculty and advancing foundational discoveries in cancer biology. Dr. Stewart received her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from UCLA and completed her postdoctoral training in cancer biology at the Whitehead Institute at MIT in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Weinberg.
Dr. Stewart’s laboratory has demonstrated that senescent stromal cells, similar to cancer-associated fibroblasts, express a wide array of pro-tumorigenic factors, many of which are regulated through p38MAPK–MK2-dependent post-transcriptional stabilization. This work led to a clinical trial targeting MK2 in metastatic breast cancer aimed at limiting disease progression and preserving bone integrity. Her group is now investigating how MK2 inhibition can be combined with immunotherapy and studying the role of senescent cells in chemotherapy-induced comorbidities and metastatic progression.
AACR Board of Directors