Cancer Center Basic Research Programs

Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy
Innovative Therapeutics
Cancer Prevention and Control
Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy

Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy

A major focus of the immunotherapy research happening at Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center is on the tumor immune microenvironment and understanding mechanisms of tumorigenesis. Tumor cells evade immune surveillance at multiple stages of cancer progression. The program aims to identify key factors that participate and/or regulate in the cross-talk between tumor initiating cells/stem cells and host immune cells. Knowledge gained from members in this program will help counteract tumor mediated immune suppression to develop impactful novel immunotherapies.
Innovative Therapeutics

Innovative Therapeutics

Tumor cells develop resistance to anti-cancer therapies through intricate and multifaceted mechanisms, which can be tumor cell intrinsic or extrinsic, and include the stromal tumor microenvironment (TME) components in the primary tumor and distal metastatic sites. The overreaching goal of the HMNCC Innovative Therapeutics (IT) Program is to elucidate and target mechanisms of therapy resistance, with emphasis on both tumor cell intrinsic and TME-associated resistance mechanisms, using state-of-the-art spatial biology technologies and cutting-edge drug targeting or delivery approaches, as well as developing innovative anticancer treatments notably for cancer types of importance to the catchment area.
Cancer Prevention and Control

Cancer Prevention and Control

The primary goals of the Cancer Prevention and Control program at the Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center are to Identify, understand, and mitigate factors that contribute to cancer risk and to develop and evaluate new strategies for early cancer detection, including novel biomarkers.
Program Leaders
Dr. Qing Yi
Associate Director of Basic Research
Qing Yi, MD, PhD
Ralph O’Connor Centennial Chair, Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center
Professor of Cancer Biology in Medicine, Academic Institute
Full Member, Research Institute
Dr. Nestor Esnaola
Associate Director of Cancer Control & Population Science
Nestor F. Esnaola, MD, MPH, MBA, FACS
Diane Harkins Modesett Chair, Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center
Professor of Surgery, Academic Institute
Jerold B. Katz Investigator, Academic Institute
Full Member, Research Institute
Program Lead of Innovative Therapeutics
Keith Syson Chan, PhD
Research Scientist, Research Institute
Director, Translational Research, Department of Urology
headshot of Shu-Hsia Chen, PhD
Director of Center for Immunotherapy Research
Shu-Hsia Chen, PhD
Emily Herrmann Chair in Immunology Research, Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center
Professor of Immunology in Medicine, Academic Institute
Full Member, Research Institute
Associate Director for Cancer Control & Population Science.
Jennifer Cullen, PhD, MPH

Our Comprehensive Approach

Program Team Members

With a goal of building a comprehensive approach to cancer research across basic, clinical, and population-based science, Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center has developed three Research Programs led by renowned experts: Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapeutics, Innovative Therapeutics, and Cancer Prevention and Control. The overall specific aims of these programs are to:

  1. Develop novel therapeutics for cancer treatment and care using a combination of cutting-edge translational science techniques in the areas of innovative personalized therapeutics, and immunotherapy. 

  2. Translate basic science and population science discoveries into early phase clinical trials and interventions. 

  3. Promote cancer awareness through community engagement in urban and rural areas of Texas with the highest incidence of cancer and provide improved cancer prevention and screening options through the regional branches of the Houston Methodist Hospital.

Program Team Members

Innovative Therapeutics

David Baskin
Elvin Blanco
Jenny Chang
John Cooke
Vittorio Cristini
Biana Godin
Alessandro Grattoni
Andrew Hu
Aparna Kamat
Daniel Kiss
Milos Kojic
Robert Krencik
Zejuan Li
Xuewu Liu
Brian Miles
Francesca Taraballi
Robert Rostomily
Christoforos Thomas
Stephen Wong
Youli Zu
Jing Yang
Qing Yi
Hong Zhao

Cancer Immunology & Immunotherapy

Maen Abdelrahim
Siddhartha Ganguly
Yulin Li
Yong Lu
Polly Niravath
Ping-Ying Pan
Sai Ravi Pingali
Roberto Rosato
Anthony Tang
Qing Yi
Kyuson Yun

Cancer Prevention & Control

Bin He
Bita Kash
Raj Satkunasivam
David Victor
Stephen Wong
Ming You

Recent Cancer Research
Breast Cancer Cells
Nanomedicine Makes Big Strides in the Fight Against Breast Cancer
Researchers deliver immunotherapy directly into triple-negative breast cancer tumors with nanofluidic implants, achieving tunable and sustained dosing of immunotherapeutics with high anti-tumor activity.
Predicting the Future of Cancer Treatment

Houston Methodist faculty developed a multiscale mechanistic model to further investigate the role of miR-155 in non-small cell lung cancer and predict clinical efficacy based on preclinical data.

New Perspectives in Pancreatic Cancer Management

Molecular alterations found in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma samples may have potential therapeutic implications

woman sitting near an MRI machine
CPRIT Funds Cancer Research

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) has awarded $3.4 million in funding to two Houston Methodist cancer researchers for projects to improve cancer prevention in underserved communities and advance the development of more effective multiple myeloma treatments.

man and healthcare worker looking over clipboard
Therapies for Localized Prostate Cancer
Houston Methodist Researchers Examine Two Therapeutic Strategies And Their Impact On Survival For Localized Prostate Cancer.
half-smoked cigarette on empty background
Cell Division Aberrations Caused by Cigarette Smoke Could Help Detect Cancer Early

Houston Methodist researchers have found that exposure to cigarette smoke can induce both centrosome amplification and clustering in normal lung epithelial cells, making them cancerlike.

man talking to healthcare worker
An Ongoing Phase II Clinical Trial for Bladder Cancer
Combining Neoadjuvant Drug Sasanlimab and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy May Improve The Quality Of Life In Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients

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