Fox Chase Cancer Center Scientist Yash Chhabra Honored With NextGen Stars Award From American Association for Cancer Research

Yash Chhabra, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Research Program, was recently honored with the American Association for Cancer Research's NextGen Stars Award.

PHILADELPHIA (January 21, 2025) - Yash Chhabra, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Research Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, was recently honored with the American Association for Cancer Research's (AACR) NextGen Stars Award.

The NextGen Stars Program increases the visibility of early-career scientists. Researchers who are honored with the award are invited to present their studies in a session at the AACR Annual Meeting and receive financial assistance to attend.

"I'm so honored and humbled to receive this award because I know how sought after this is. Submissions come from around the world, so I'm really grateful for the recognition. I think it's also a recognition of my collaborators and mentors who really helped shape the program that I work on," Chhabra said.

Chhabra, who opened his lab at Fox Chase earlier this year, focuses on identifying the molecular signaling pathways that contribute to sex disparities in melanoma mortality and therapy resistance and how these processes change with aging. His long-term research goal is to improve precision oncology by combining gender medicine and aging. The aim is to characterize tumors for co-dependencies as well as additional vulnerabilities and harness them to develop novel targets or treatment strategies.

Chhabra was selected for the award based on research evaluating how therapy response for melanoma patients is affected by the changes that occur in the tumor microenvironment, the cells surrounding a tumor. His study demonstrates how factors such as advancing age and biological sex alter the tumor microenvironment and contribute to disease progression. Chhabra said bridging this knowledge gap will improve how clinicians stratify patients and assist in tailoring therapies to achieve equitable healthcare.

"Dr. Chhabra is a staunch advocate for diversity and inclusion in science, striving to foster an environment of fairness, equity, and access to opportunities for all, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities," said Edna "Eti" Cukierman, PhD, Co-Leader of the Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Research Program.

"Beyond his academic and scientific accomplishments, Dr. Chhabra is passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists. His enthusiasm, combined with a remarkable work ethic and collaborative spirit, make him the ideal candidate for the AACR NextGen Star recognition," she added.

Chhabra will present his study, "Harnessing Age- and Sex-Differential Changes Within the Tumor Microenvironment to Inhibit Metastases and Promote Therapy Responses in Melanoma," at the AACR Annual Meeting 2025, which is being held April 25-30, 2025, in Chicago.