Fall 2025
By Cyrena Musset
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recently awarded $580,000 to three Dana-Farber physician-scientists who are investigating new methods of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various types of cancers. As the first cancer research organization dedicated to preventing and curing cancer, AACR is a long-standing partner in Dana-Farber’s mission to defy cancer.
Erica Pimenta, MD, PhD, Medical Oncology Fellow, is clinically and scientifically focused on sarcoma, which develops in bone and connective tissue. Her work involves studying pathogenesis and immune evasion, leveraging both computational and molecular biology approaches.
“I am extremely grateful and honored to be awarded the AACR-QuadW Foundation Sarcoma Research Fellowship in Memory of Willie Tichenor,” said Pimenta. “As a sarcoma-focused physician-scientist, I can assure patients that sarcoma research is active and advanced. This award supports the continuation of vital work, providing protected research time for excellence in biologic discovery. Thank you to all who made this possible.”
Cary Weiss, MD, PhD, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellow, studies translocation renal cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive type of kidney cancer that is more common in children, young people, women, and as a secondary malignancy. He’s working on a new approach using Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras, which are special molecules designed to break down harmful proteins quickly and completely.
“I am thrilled to be awarded the AACR-Exelixis Renal Cell Carcinoma Research Fellowship, which provides essential funding to advance my research on translocation renal cell carcinoma and supports my development as an independent physician-scientist,” said Weiss. “This opportunity significantly contributes to my goal of improving outcomes for pediatric and adolescent/young adult cancer patients.”
Dana-Farber researcher, Nika Danial, PhD, in collaboration with Jarrod Marto, PhD and Mariella Filbin, MD, PhD, are researching histone mutant diffuse midline gliomas, a type of brain tumor caused by certain cells that should develop into glial cells but instead stay in an immature “stem-like” state.
“This award will catalyze high-risk, high-reward studies that could lead to significant breakthroughs in understanding how certain lipid-protein interactions affect glioma, an untapped area of discovery in metabolic signaling,” said Danial. “The findings could also impact our understanding of other cancers where cell development is disrupted or stalled.”