MSK Awards and Appointments September 2025

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

Maria Jasin Awarded the 2025 Peral Meister Greengard Prize

Maria Jasin, PhD, developmental biologist and William E. Snee Chair, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize. Awarded annually by Rockefeller University, the prize is the preeminent international award recognizing outstanding women scientists. Dr. Jasin was selected for her fundamental research on the repair of damaged DNA in cells, which has transformed our understanding of cancers linked to inherited gene mutations.

Denis Torre Selected to the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Fellowship

Denis Torre, PhD, fellow, was selected for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Fellowship. This fellowship encourages young scientists to pursue careers in cancer research by providing them with independent funding to investigate cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies, and prevention. Dr. Torre was selected for his work studying how genetic disruptions influence cell behavior over time.

Joao Xavier Receives the American Society for Microbiology Data Prize

Joao Xavier, PhD, member of the Computational & Systems Biology Program, was awarded the Microbiome Data Prize by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). The prize recognizes distinguished research achievements that support open data practices and the development of standards for data quality and sharing in the microbial sciences.

Constantinos Sofocleous Named 2025 Distinguished Fellow by CIRSE

Constantinos Sofocleous, MD, PhD, interventional radiologist, was named a 2025 Distinguished Fellow by the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE). This honor recognizes his exceptional contributions to the field of interventional oncology, particularly in the treatment of metastatic colorectal disease.

Talya Salz Awarded Funding From the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Talya Salz, PhD, associate attending outcomes research scientist, received funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for her study titled, "Developing a large language model to incorporate the patient voice in pain assessment for comparative effectiveness research." This project will explore how AI can analyze patient narratives to better reflect lived experiences with cancer-related pain, comparing these insights to traditional patient-reported outcomes and evaluating their perceived accuracy and usefulness.

Al Asante-Facey Honored With the Anne Grant Advocacy Leadership Award by SHARE Cancer Support

Al Asante-Facey, PA-C, MBA, associate director of advanced practice providers, received the Anne Grant Advocacy Leadership Award from SHARE Cancer Support. He was awarded for his unwavering dedication to patient care, advocacy, and community education.

MSK Named One of the World's Best Specialized Hospitals by Newsweek

Newsweek ranked MSK No. 1 in their 2026 World's Best Specialized Hospitals list for Oncology. Newsweek partnered with research firm Statista to rank the world's best specialized hospitals. This year's rankings featured 300 hospitals specializing in cardiology and oncology, pediatrics, cardiac surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, pulmonology, neurology, neurosurgery, urology, obstetrics, and gynecology.

MSK Named a Best Workplace for Innovators by Fast Company

For the first time, MSK has been named one of Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators, ranking No. 9 out of 100 on its 2025 list of awardees. Fast Company recognizes companies that excel at fostering creative cultures by encouraging and supporting innovation from employees across the entire organization. This recognition is an affirmation of MSK's collective commitment to our core value of innovation with lasting impact.

MSK Named One of America's Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals by Forbes

MSK was recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals. This recognition reflects MSK's continued commitment to excellence in patient care, innovation, and workplace culture. Forbes partnered with Statista to survey 160,000 employees across companies with at least 500 staff members nationwide. Respondents were asked to rate their employers based on criteria such as willingness to recommend their workplace, experiences with other employers in the industry, and perceptions of organizations known through professional or personal networks.