MD Anderson geneticist receives award for biomedical sciences research
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Guillermina “Gigi” Lozano, PhD, received Association of American Medical Colleges’ Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences.
The award recognizes an individual or two-person team whose research contributes to significant scientific discoveries benefitting human health and well-being, who participate in research beyond their own work through mentorship or review panels, and whose standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity are of the highest caliber.
Lozano — chair of the genetics department at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center — was the first person to establish p53 as a transcriptional activator of other genes. Her work highlighted the fact p53 mutations or deletions are present in a majority of cancers.
Lozano also discovered the key mechanism through which breast cancers with p53 mutations respond better to chemotherapy than p53 wild-type cancers. She later led the development of laboratory models of mutant p53 that helped to more accurately represent breast and pancreatic cancers.
“Gigi’s key discoveries in the field of cancer biology are of tremendous importance, enabling a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that drive tumor development and treatment response. These breakthroughs are necessary for advancing the field and improving the care we bring to our patients,” Giulio F. Draetta, MD, PhD, chief scientific officer at MD Anderson, said in a cancer center-issued press release. “Her commitment to research excellence strengthens our entire MD Anderson community, and we applaud her for this well-deserved recognition.”
Lozano is the second researcher from MD Anderson to be selected for this award. James P. Allison, PhD, chair of the department of immunology and executive director of the institution’s immunotherapy platform, received the award in 2014.
“I am flattered to be recognized for our work on the p53 tumor suppressor pathway and want to thank members of my laboratory for all of their contributions,” Lozano said in the release. “I look forward to continuing our exciting research and advancing new discoveries that will bring us closer to our mission to end cancer.”