The AACR-Incyte Fellowships represent a joint effort to encourage and support young mentored investigators to conduct cancer research and to establish a successful career path in this field. The research proposed for funding may be basic, translational, or clinical in nature.

2023 grantee

Research

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common indolent lymphoma. Poor responses to chemotherapy have been observed in up to a fifth of patients. Bispecific T cell-engaging antibodies targeting CD3 and CD20 (CD3/CD20 BsAb) represent an emerging class of therapies with promising clinical data but significant potential for immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Leveraging well-annotated biospecimens from two clinical trials of frontline CD3/CD20 BsAb for FL, Dr. Zhang will apply her expertise in immunology and quantitative image analysis to define and validate tractable predictive immune biomarkers of clinical response and irAEs.

Biography

Dr. Zhang received her medical degree at Hebei Medical University in Shijiazhuang, China. After her clinical training, she oversaw treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies at Hebei Tumor Hospital. She pursued her doctorate in basic immunology at the First Internal Department Laboratory in the School of Medicine, University of Occupational & Environmental Health, Japan. These complementary experiences imparted deep expertise and a passion for translational immuno-oncology. She now conducts postdoctoral research to define immune-inclusive predictive biomarkers for individuals with lymphoma at Harvard Medical School.

Acknowledgment of Support

“I am humbled and honored to receive the 2023 AACR-Incyte Immuno-oncology Research Fellowship. This award will support my ongoing efforts to leverage immunologic tools to advance precision therapeutic strategies for patients with lymphoma. It will also prepare me for a transition from mentored trainee to independent investigator.”

2022 grantee

Research

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), metastatic cancers of stratified epithelial tissues, occur when epithelial stem cells acquire oncogenic mutations to form tumor-initiating cells (TIC). While initially thought to be rooted in the accumulation of genetic mutations, there is a growing appreciation of the importance of the tissue microenvironment in driving cancer. With rising SCC incidences in the aging population, this begs the question of whether age-related changes in the tumor microenvironment contribute to tumor susceptibility and how. One dramatic change in the aged microenvironment lies in immune function, raising the possibility that impaired crosstalk between TICs and immune cells is responsible for the rise in cancer susceptibility. During her fellowship, Dr. Hur proposes to identify age-related differences in cell types and gene expression in the TIC: immune cell niche; thereby, gaining insights into the functional importance of this crosstalk in SCC formation, maintenance, and metastasis.

Biography

Dr. Hur received her DVM from Seoul National University in South Korea and completed her PhD at Cornell University. During her graduate training, she discovered that embryonic stem cells generate extracellular vesicles which help maintain pluripotency in recipient embryonic stem cells. She is currently conducting her postdoctoral work at Rockefeller University, where she is studying how the aging tumor microenvironment impacts cancer progression.

Acknowledgement of Support

It is an honor to be a recipient of an AACR-Incyte Immuno-oncology Research Fellowship. This opportunity will allow me to contribute to knowledge about the roles that the tumor microenvironment plays in cancer, and will provide me with the resources to pursue my career as an independent researcher.