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From training future cancer researchers to advancing next-generation therapies and developing new approaches to smoking cessation, three UTHealth Houston researchers have secured more than $6 million in grants from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to drive innovation in cancer research, treatment, and prevention.
“The work being carried out by our researchers continues to move science and medicine forward in meaningful ways,” said Melina R. Kibbe, MD, UTHealth Houston president and Alkek-Williams Distinguished Chair. “These awards recognize not only innovative ideas, but also the persistence, collaboration, and dedication required to translate research into real impact for Texans and beyond.”
The awards are part of CPRIT’s broader statewide effort to accelerate cancer discoveries, expand prevention initiatives, and strengthen Texas’ research infrastructure through long-term investment in science and innovation.
“This strong showing in the latest CPRIT funding cycle reflects the exceptional cancer research taking place across UTHealth Houston and the collaborative efforts of our faculty across disciplines,” said John Hancock, MA, MB, BChir, PhD, ScD, senior vice president for research strategy and innovation at UTHealth Houston; senior executive director at The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases; and John S. Dunn Distinguished University Chair in Physiology and Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
With this latest funding cycle, CPRIT has awarded more than 2,200 grants and invested more than $4 billion in cancer-related initiatives. Since its founding in 2007, CPRIT has recruited nearly 350 cancer researchers and helped fund or relocate 72 companies to Texas. The funding also has supported more than 11.5 million prevention services to Texans.
Researchers receiving awards
Zhongming Zhao, PhD, MS – McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston
Biomedical Informatics, Genomics, and Translational Cancer Research Training Program – $4 million
Zhongming Zhao, PhD, MS, vice president of cancer genomic medicine, chair for Precision Health, and director of the Center for Precision Health at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, received $4 million in renewed funding for the Biomedical Informatics, Genomics, and Translational Cancer Research Training Program at UTHealth Houston, continuing support for a training initiative designed to prepare the next generation of cancer researchers.
Led by Zhao, the program provides advanced research training in biomedical informatics, genomics, translational medicine, artificial intelligence, and emerging cancer technologies. The renewed funding will support both PhD and postdoctoral training tracks while strengthening collaborative opportunities across the university’s seven schools.
The program leverages UTHealth Houston’s expertise in cancer biology, data science, single-cell omics, stem cell biology, pharmacology, clinical informatics, and drug discovery to create a multidisciplinary training environment. Trainees participate in coordinated coursework, laboratory and informatics rotations, and dual mentorship models bridging computational and experimental research.
“We are deeply grateful to CPRIT for its continued support,” said Zhao, director of the Biomedical Informatics, Genomics, and Translational Cancer Research Training Program and a faculty member at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. “This renewed funding will allow us to further expand our interdisciplinary training environment and prepare the next generation of cancer researchers with expertise spanning biomedical informatics, genomics, artificial intelligence, and translational cancer science. Our mission is to empower trainees with the knowledge, mentorship, and collaborative experiences needed to drive innovative discoveries that will ultimately improve cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for patients in Texas and beyond.”
Qingyun Liu, PhD – McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
A preclinical development core for large molecule therapeutics – $1,999,997
Qingyun “Jim” Liu, PhD, professor, director of the Center for Translational Cancer Research at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, and the Janice Davis Gordon Chair for Bowel Cancer Research, leads this nearly $2 million project aimed at advancing promising large-molecule cancer therapies from early discovery through preclinical development and toward patient testing.
Large-molecule therapeutics, including antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates, have become a dominant class of cancer treatment in recent years. As research efforts involving these therapies continue to grow, investigators require specialized resources to move promising drug candidates toward clinical testing.
The core facility will provide critical capabilities needed for large-molecule drug development, including scale-up production, pharmacokinetic analysis, and toxicology studies. These services help evaluate the safety and effectiveness of experimental therapies before they advance to patient trials.
“Pharmacokinetics and toxicology are an essential part of drug discovery. Having this core grant renewed continues to help us push our drug candidates to the next level by increasing our chance of seeing whether they will work in cancer patients,” said Liu, who is also a faculty member at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. “Large molecule therapeutics are now the predominant form of cancer drugs. This core facility will allow researchers to advance their large molecule drug leads beyond the proof-of-concept stages.”
By providing centralized access to these technologies and expertise, the facility aims to strengthen cancer research efforts across Texas and accelerate the development of innovative therapies for a wide range of cancers. Liu said the initiative will help bridge the gap between proof-of-concept discoveries and clinical translation, supporting investigators working to bring new treatments closer to patients.
Xiaoming Du, PhD – McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
Noninvasive deep brain neuromodulation for cigarette smoking cessation in people with multiple failed quit attempts – $250,000
Xiaoming Du, PhD, assistant professor in the Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School, leads this project, which received $250,000 to test a novel low-intensity focused ultrasound therapy targeting deep brain regions associated with nicotine addiction to help smokers who have experienced unsuccessful cessation treatments.
The study will investigate low-intensity focused ultrasound, a noninvasive technology that safely modulates brain activity using targeted ultrasound waves. Du plans to use the therapy to target a deep brain region known as the extended amygdala, which has been linked through brain imaging research to severe nicotine addiction and craving.
The clinical trial will evaluate whether the approach can reduce cravings and improve smoking cessation outcomes among patients who previously failed other therapies. Du hopes the project will expand treatment possibilities for patients with persistent nicotine addiction while advancing cancer prevention strategies aimed at reducing smoking-related disease.
“Receiving this CPRIT award is both a tremendous honor and an important milestone for me and our research team,” Du said. “Personally, it is very meaningful to have our efforts in developing treatments for nicotine addiction recognized, spanning work from smokers with severe mental disorders to smokers in the general population who have struggled with multiple failed attempts to quit. This award is a strong encouragement for the years of work our team has dedicated to advancing noninvasive approaches for smoking cessation.”