Five Ludwig Cancer Research-affiliated scientists were elected Fellows of the Academy of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), class of 2022: Ludwig Oxford’s Yang Shi, Ludwig MSK Director Alexander Rudensky, Ludwig Stanford investigators Christopher Garcia and Crystal Mackall and Ludwig Scientific Advisor Victor Velculescu. The AACR notes that election to the Academy recognizes scientists whose research has “propelled significant innovation and progress against cancer.” Yang was recognized for his landmark contributions to epigenetics, including the demonstration that histone methylation is reversible and dynamically regulated, and the discovery of the first histone demethylase, LSD1. Crystal was honored for her prolific work in immunology and immunotherapeutics, especially the development of CAR-T cell therapies, and her translational research in pediatric oncology. Chris was recognized for his singular contributions to structural biology, most notably the first structure of a T-cell receptor bound to a peptide-MHC complex and that of many immunoregulatory proteins. Alexander was honored for his foundational discoveries on the biology of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and analysis of their wide-ranging roles in tumorigenesis and the suppression of autoimmunity. Victor, meanwhile, was recognized for his many contributions to our understanding and analysis of the cancer genome and the development of non-invasive cancer detection technologies. Our congratulations to all.
This article appeared in the May 2022 issue of Ludwig Link. Click here to download a copy (PDF, 2MB).