We are pleased to announce Yana Najjar, MD, as the recipient of this year’s Sy Holzer Endowed Immunotherapy Research Award to advance innovative research in cancer immunotherapy.
Dr. Najjar is a research physician at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, where is she is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of advanced melanoma and member of the Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Research Program. She is also an associate professor in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Her research focuses on cancer immunotherapy and its impact on the tumor microenvironment and peripheral immune system, and specifically on anti-PD1 resistant melanoma and rare melanoma subtypes.
Using a bench-to-bedside approach, Dr. Najjar has developed multiple investigator-initiated trials that aim to remodel melanoma tumor cell metabolism and hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment to overcome mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy. Her lab is focused on various correlative analyses from investigator-initiated trials.
The Sy Holzer Endowed Immunotherapy Research Award is provided to emerging leaders in cancer immunotherapy at UPMC Hillman. It was established to honor Holzer’s philanthropic work as the long-time president of PNC and his many years of service as chair of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Council.
The award this year will be matched once again by the Stanley M. Marks Endowed Research Fund at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
