Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) today announced the following awards and appointments:
Christopher D. Lima Elected 2025 AAAS Fellow
Christopher D. Lima, PhD, Chair of the Structural Biology Program at the Sloan Kettering Institute and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, has been
named a 2025 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society. Dr. Lima was recognized in the Biological Sciences section. His lab studies the molecular machinery cells use to regulate and recycle proteins and RNA, with direct implications for understanding disease at a fundamental level. The 2025 class of AAAS Fellows includes 449 scientists, engineers, and innovators across all 24 disciplinary sections, recognized for their significant scientific achievements.
Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis and Robert Farese Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis, PhD, and
Robert Farese, MD, have been
elected to the 2026 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, joining 252 leaders in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, and research. Both are members of MSK’s Sloan Kettering Institute.
Dr. Hadjantonakis’s lab studies the endoderm — the progenitor tissue that gives rise to the respiratory and digestive systems and organs such as the lung, liver, and pancreas — with the goal of understanding how these organs form in time and space from uncommitted embryonic cells. Dr. Farese, affiliated with The Tobias Walther Lab, studies cellular lipid and energy metabolism, with a focus on the mechanisms and physiology of neutral lipid synthesis and storage in lipid droplets.
Founded in 1780, the academy elects new members each year to recognize excellence and engage leaders in addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Early members included George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.
Caleb Lareau Awarded the 2026 Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Prize
Caleb Lareau, PhD, Assistant Member in the Computational and Systems Biology Program, is
one of 13 recipients of the 2026 Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Prize. Originally focused on cancer research in the greater New York City area, the prize expanded this year to include scientists nationwide. Dr. Lareau will receive $750,000 over three years to support his research on engineered protein “sponges” that may absorb and neutralize chemotherapy drugs outside of tumors, reducing harmful side effects. By using generative AI to design these proteins, his team aims to enable higher and more effective doses of chemotherapy while minimizing toxicity for patients. The Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance, established in 2013 by the Pershing Square Foundation in partnership with the Sohn Conference Foundation, has committed more than $58 million to 90 scientists.
MSK Received Five National Press Ganey Awards for Excellence in Patient Experience
MSK has been recognized with five national Press Ganey Awards, an unprecedented achievement that reflects the institution’s unwavering commitment to delivering an exceptional patient experience. These honors are based on direct feedback from patients through surveys administered by Press Ganey, a leading healthcare research and strategic advisory firm specializing in patient‑experience measurement.
The awards span MSK’s Manhattan locations and regional sites, underscoring the consistent, high‑quality care delivered across the entire organization. MSK was honored with:
• Four Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Awards, which are presented to organizations whose patient‑experience scores rank within the top 5% of healthcare institutions nationwide. These awards were earned by: Inpatient care at Memorial Hospital, Josie Robertson Surgery Center Ambulatory Surgery, Monmouth Ambulatory Surgery, and all MSK Symptom Care Clinics across the regional care network
• One Pinnacle of Excellence Award, recognizing sustained performance among the top ;3%–5% of healthcare organizations over a three‑year period. This award was presented to the Monmouth Ambulatory Surgery Team.
This milestone highlights MSK’s continued leadership in delivering an outstanding patient experience and reinforces the institution’s mission to provide world‑class cancer care across all locations.
Adrienne Boire and Tuomas Tammela Receive AACR Trailblazer Cancer Research Grants
Adrienne Boire, MD, PhD, Neurologist and Neuro-Oncologist, and
Tuomas Tammela, MD, PhD, Associate Member, Cancer Biology & Genetics Program, have each
received inaugural American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Trailblazer Cancer Research Grants. Nine early-stage and six mid-career investigators were selected to receive $1 million each over three years to support promising cancer research. Dr. Boire’s work focuses on cancer communication across the blood-brain barrier. Dr. Tammela’s research investigates epithelial injury–associated tissue programs in cancer plasticity.
Luis A. Díaz Awarded the AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Award
Luis A. Díaz Jr., MD, Gastrointestinal Medical Oncologist,
received the AACR–Joseph H. Burchenal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research for transformative contributions to cancer treatment. He is recognized for pioneering biomarker-driven immunotherapies, demonstrating that cancers with mismatch repair deficiency and microsatellite instability respond exceptionally well to immune checkpoint blockade. His work also advanced the use of circulating tumor DNA to detect minimal residual disease and led landmark clinical trials of PD-1 blockade, including rectal cancer studies achieving complete responses with immunotherapy alone. His discoveries helped establish defective DNA repair as a predictive biomarker and enabled the first tissue-agnostic approval of a cancer therapy based on a molecular signature.
Alexander Gitlin Received Lupus Innovation Award
Alexander Gitlin, MD, PhD, has been
selected as one of five recipients of the Lupus Innovation Award from the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA). This award supports scientists pursuing high-risk, high-reward approaches to address critical challenges in lupus research, with the potential to transform understanding of the disease. Awardees receive up to $150,000 per year for two years to accelerate the pace of discovery. Dr. Gitlin’s research will investigate whether distinct genetic mutations that cause lupus share a common mechanism by disrupting TLR7 signaling through the Caspase-8–N4BP1 pathway. Using mouse models and advanced tools, his study aims to identify a unifying disease pathway that could serve as a novel therapeutic target for lupus.
Tracy McMillen Received PASCV Outstanding Clinical Laboratory Professional Award
Tracy McMillen, MS, M(ASCP), Manager, Hospital Operations, has been
honored with the PASCV Outstanding Clinical Laboratory Professional Award, which recognizes bench-level clinical laboratory scientists who have made significant contributions to clinical or diagnostic virology. She is recognized for her leadership in developing diagnostic tests and her pivotal role in MSK’s COVID-19 response.
Gregory J. Riely Receives NCCN Excellence in Engagement Award
Gregory J. Riely, MD, PhD, Thoracic Medical Oncologist,
received an 2026 Excellence in Engagement Award from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Dr. Riely serves as Chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer/Mesothelioma/Thymomas and Thymic Carcinomas. He is recognized for his expertise, ability to synthesize complex information, and collaborative leadership in building consensus.
Edgar Jaimes Receives NCCN Grant for CML Research
Edgar Jaimes, MD, Chief Attending and Nephrologist,
received a grant from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) to support research on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). His project, titled “AGORA-CML: AI-Guided Optimization of Response and Adverse Event Surveillance in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia,” aims to enhance clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes. This initiative will promote innovative approaches to decision-making, ultimately aiming to enhance the quality of life for individuals with CML. The NCCN is a nonprofit alliance of leading cancer centers dedicated to patient care, research, and education.
Justin Perry Awarded BrightFocus Foundation Alzheimer’s Grant
Justin Perry, PhD, Associate Member in the Immunology Program, has
received a BrightFocus Foundation grant supporting research in Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Grants were awarded to 62 scientists across seven countries. BrightFocus is a global nonprofit funder advancing research to combat these diseases.
David Abramson Received 2026 Eye Research Prize from BrightFocus Foundation and Helen Keller Foundation
David H. Abramson, MD, FACS, Chief of the Ophthalmic Oncology Service, was
honored with the 2026 Eye Research Prize from the BrightFocus Foundation and the Helen Keller Foundation in recognition of his significant contributions to vision science and advancements in the treatment of childhood eye cancers. Dr. Abramson has developed pioneering treatments that have transformed the management of eye cancer worldwide. Established in 1994, the Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research recognizes excellence demonstrated through multiple significant research contributions to vision science or a single contribution of exceptional impact. Recipients are selected by an international panel of biomedical physicians and researchers.
Emmet Huang‑Hobbs Awarded the 2026 Leon Levy Scholar in Neuroscience by the New York Academy of the Sciences
Emmet Huang-Hobbs, PhD, Research Scholar at The Charles Sawyers Lab, was
named a 2026 Leon Levy Scholar in Neuroscience by the New York Academy of the Sciences. The Leon Levy Scholarships in Neuroscience (LLSN) program aims to promote groundbreaking neuroscience research in the five boroughs of New York City. The program supports innovative early-career researchers during their postdoctoral training as they develop independent research directions.
Sandeep Raj and Satoshi Kaito Awarded the DKMS John Hansen Research Grant
Sandeep Raj, MD, Bone Marrow Transplant Specialist, and
Satoshi Kaito, Research Scholar at
The Omar Abdel-Wahab Lab, have been
awarded the DKMS John Hansen Research Grant. This prestigious grant provides €240,000 over three years to support research on hematologic diseases. Dr. Raj was recognized for his research project titled “Viral Mimicry-Induced Maladaptive Inflammation as a Targetable Driver of CAR T-Cell Resistance in Large B-Cell Lymphoma.” Meanwhile, Satoshi Kaito received the grant for his investigation titled “New Cellular Therapeutic Approaches for the Curative Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.” Additionally, Dr. Raj has been honored with the 2025 MSK Steven A. Greenberg Lymphoma Research Award, which supports researchers dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of lymphoma.
MSK Named One of the Best Companies for Working with Cancer
MSK was recognized as one of the inaugural Best Companies for Working with Cancer by Cancer and Careers, a leading authority on navigating cancer and work. MSK is among 17 organizations setting the standard for supporting employees facing cancer and other serious health conditions. The index evaluates benefits, policies, workplace culture, and resources based on the priorities of those directly affected by cancer.
MSK Named a 2026 Platinum Employer in the Where You Work Matters List
MSK was named a Platinum Employer in the 2026 Where You Work Matters List, recognizing it as one of the nation’s top workplaces. The Where You Work Matters List is an independent, nonprofit assessment powered by the American Opportunity Index, led by the Burning Glass Institute and the Schultz Family Foundation, with a methodology developed in partnership with Harvard Business School. This recognition underscores that MSK is a remarkable place to work, grow, and make a meaningful impact, all thanks to its dedicated people.
MSK Ranked Among Top Global Institutions for Patents
MSK has ranked among the Top 60 Worldwide Non-Profit Research Institutions and Government Agencies Granted Utility Patents in 2025, announced by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The ranking provides insight into the global innovation landscape and complements NAI’s Top 100 Worldwide Universities and Top 100 U.S. Universities lists.
