Category Archives: Faculty Honors

Congratulations to Core Member Kathryn E. Wellen, Ph.D. on being selected for the American Association for Cancer Research Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Cancer Research!

This award honors an early-career investigator for meritorious achievements in basic cancer research. A member of the ACC Cancer Therapeutics Research Program, Dr. Wellen is recognized for her research establishing new paradigms in the understanding of cancer cell metabolism. The chemical reactions that change food into energy function very differently in cancer cells compared to healthy cells, and these metabolic processes are a driving force behind cancer growth. Dr. Wellen’s work has shed light on how cancer cell metabolism works at a molecular level, and shown how cellular metabolism is connected to gene regulation. Many of her discoveries have opened new fields of study involving the mechanisms of crosstalk between metabolic pathways, signaling networks, and the epigenome. Building on recent findings, Dr. Wellen’s lab is also investigating how diet and nutrition play impact tumor growth.