Sixteen exceptional early-career scientists are advancing groundbreaking biomedical research at MSK thanks to the generous support of MSK philanthropists. These postdoctoral researchers, selected for their innovative research proposals and scientific promise, represent the future of oncology discovery. Through the donor-funded fellowships awarded in spring 2026, MSK continues its commitment to nurturing emerging talent and accelerating the translation of laboratory discoveries into new therapies and improved outcomes for cancer patients.
“These early career researchers are pursuing answers to some of the most challenging questions in science. We applaud their brilliance and determination,” says Jason S. Lewis, PhD, Emily Tow Chair, Deputy Director, Sloan Kettering Institute, Scientific Education & Training. “We thank all the donors who make it possible to support these scientists destined to make important contributions to their fields.”
Congratulations to each of the following postdoctoral researchers who were& awarded fellowships in spring 2026:
Andrea Chaikovsky, PhD, Cancer Biology and Genetics, Scott Lowe Lab
Research Project:
Healing the Wound: Targeting Cancer-like Niches in the Premalignant Pancreas for Tumor Interception
Wei Chen, PhD, Cell Biology, Tobias Walther Lab
Fellowship:
Starr Foundation Program for Discovery Science Postdoctoral Basic Research Innovation Award (BRIA)
Research Project:
Lipid Metabolism Regulation of Synaptic Function in Motor Neuron Physiology and Diseases
Tandrila Das, PhD, Immunology, Alexander Gitlin Lab
Fellowship:
Marie-Josée Kravis WISE Postdoctoral Fellowship
Research Project:
Modeling and Therapeutic Targeting of VEXAS Syndrome in Vivo
Yuxuan Han, PhD, Cell Biology, Tobias Walther Lab
Research Project:
Glycosphingolipid-Driven Immune Evasion as a Targetable Vulnerability in Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Yue Huang, PhD, Molecular Pharmacology, Omar Abdel-Wahab Lab
Fellowship:
Marie-Josée Kravis Postdoctoral Fellowship in Quantitative Biology
Research Project:
Spatial Transcriptomic and Machine Learning Frameworks to Define Pre-malignant and Malignant Myeloid Blood Cancers
Anna Knoerlein, PhD, Chemical Biology, Yael David Lab
Fellowship: Marie-Josée Kravis WISE Postdoctoral Fellowship
Research Project: RNA Glycation: A Sweet Spot Linking Metabolism to Disease
Tom Lemaitre, PhD, Molecular Pharmacology, Jason Lewis Lab
Fellowship: Tow Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
Research Project: Optimizing Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Through Engineered Antibody Fusion Proteins
Raphaël Mangione, PhD, Molecular Biology, Iestyn Whitehouse Lab
Fellowship: Starr Foundation Program for Discovery Science Postdoctoral Basic Research Innovation Award (BRIA)
Research Project: Inter-sister Chromatid Architecture as a Mechanism of Chromatin Identity Transmission
Anne McMahon, PhD, Molecular Biology, Scott Keeney Lab
Fellowship: Starr Foundation Program for Discovery Science Postdoctoral Basic Research Innovation Award (BRIA)
Research Project: Epigenetic Influences on the Formation and Repair of Meiotic Double-Strand Breaks
Charles Ng, MD, PhD, Cancer Biology and Genetics, Craig Thompson Lab
Fellowship: Tow Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
Research Project: Engineering Phosphagen Circuits to Promote T Cell Bioenergetics
Jesslyn Park, PhD, Molecular Biology, Jessica Sheu-Gruttadauria Lab
Fellowship: Andrew S. Gordon Postdoctoral Fellowship
Research Project: Mapping Ribosome Assembly Coordination to the Dynamic Landscape of the Nucleolus
Jin Shuai, PhD, Structural Biology, Stephen Long Lab
Fellowship: Starr Foundation Program for Discovery Science Postdoctoral Basic Research Innovation Award (BRIA)
Research Project: Structural Studies of APOL1: A Trojan Horse Ion Channel that Protects Against Trypanosome Infection
Seogho Son, PhD, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Adrienne Boire Lab
Research Project: Cancer Cell–intrinsic Inflammatory Programming Drives Leptomeningeal Metastatic Adaptation
Evelyn Strickland, PhD, Immunology, Morgan Huse Lab
Research Project: Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Visualizing and Perturbing Cancer-osteolineage Cell Interactions to Better Understand Bone Metastasis
Karla Vazquez Prada, PhD, Molecular Pharmacology, Jan Grimm Lab
Fellowship: Tow Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
Research Project: Copper Radiotheranostic Nanoparticles for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Therapy-Resistant Cancers
Zhiying Zhang, PhD, Structural Biology, Dinshaw Patel Lab
Fellowship: Starr Foundation Program for Discovery Science Postdoctoral Basic Research Innovation Award (BRIA)
Research Project: From Modified Nucleotides to Immune Catastrophe: Mechanisms of Metabolic Antiviral Defense