MSK Awards and Appointments August 2026

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) today announced the following awards and appointments:

Tuomas Tammela Receives 2026 Stephenson Global Scholar Grant

Tuomas Tammela, MD, PhD
, Associate Member, Cancer Biology and Genetics Program at the Sloan Kettering Institute, is a recipient of a 2026 Stephenson Global Scholar Grant, awarded by the Stephenson Global Pancreatic Cancer Research Institute (SGPCRI) . In partnership with City of Hope, SGPCRI awarded $6.7 million to support eight projects aimed at changing the trajectory of pancreatic cancer. Dr. Tammela's research will identify vulnerabilities in aggressive, therapy-resistant pancreatic cancer cells to uncover new strategies for overcoming drug resistance and improving long-term outcomes.

Rüdiger M. Exner, Gunjan Kayal, Paul Klauser, Harry Marquis, and Conrad-Amadeus Voltin Named to SNMMI 2026 "Ones to Watch" List

Rüdiger M. Exner, PhD; Gunjan Kayal, PhD, MSc; Paul Klauser, PhD; Harry Marquis, PhD; and Conrad-Amadeus Voltin, MD, were named to the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging's (SNMMI) 2026 "Ones to Watch" list. Launched in 2018, the program recognizes early-career professionals with exceptional potential to shape the future of precision medicine. Honorees are nominated by SNMMI members for distinguished work, research, or leadership in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging and selected by a review panel comprising members of the SNMMI Future Leaders Working Group and the SNMMI Technologist Section Professional Development Committee.

Ziad Bakouny Receives 2026 Kidney Cancer Research Summit Merit Award

Ziad Bakouny, MD, MSc , of the Department of Medicine, received the 2026 Kidney Cancer Research Summit (KCRS) Merit Award for the Highest Ranked Translational Research from a Fellow. Dr. Bakouny was recognized for his abstract "Mitochondrial DNA Mutations Phenocopy VHL Loss To Drive Non-Clear Cell RCC." His research found that mitochondrial DNA mutations are enriched in most forms of renal cell carcinoma and have functional metabolic consequences that may contribute to the development of different RCC subtypes. The award, which recognizes innovation and scientific excellence in translational kidney cancer research, was announced at the Kidney Cancer Research Summit in Boston on July 23 .

Adam Kesner and Lukas Carter Receive NCI R01 Grant To Advance Radiation Dosimetry Platform

Adam Kesner, PhD , and Lukas Carter, PhD , of the Department of Medical Physics, received a five-year, approximately $3.3 million R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to support the next-generation expansion of MIRDsoft , a free, open-access radiation dosimetry software platform used by professionals worldwide. The project, conducted with co-investigator Wesley Bolch, PhD, of the University of Florida, will advance personalized dosimetry tools for radiopharmaceutical therapy and diagnostic nuclear medicine, with the goal of helping clinicians and researchers optimize cancer treatment.