Cancer Biology graduate Lan T. H. Phi uncovered a new role for AXL in inflammatory breast cancer, showing it drives tumor progression by promoting immunosuppressive polarization through STAT6 signaling. The findings reveal how AXL reshapes the tumor microenvironment to support immune evasion and growth, highlighting it as a promising therapeutic target.

Therapeutics and Pharmacology PhD student Tyler Bateman shares how collaboration, mentorship, and meaningful research in drug development are shaping his experience at the Graduate School.

Committed to strengthening student support, Genetics and Epigenetics PhD student Llaran Turner and Immunology PhD student Guillaume Trusz represent the Graduate School on the UT System Student Advisory Council, helping to elevate student perspectives in system-wide conversations and initiatives.

For more than two decades, Karen Weinberg has helped build a Graduate School community where people feel supported, connected, and empowered to succeed — leadership that earned her a UTHealth Houston President’s Award for Leadership.

Driven by a lifelong fascination with microorganisms, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases PhD student Melissa Martinez is accelerating research on the emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris. Through her work, she aims to better understand how this growing health threat causes disease, while also exploring ways to strengthen communication between scientists and the public.

We’re highlighting three of the new faculty members who have joined The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, bringing expertise in neuroscience, metabolic disease, and cancer research. Learn how Hemanth Mohan, PhD; Richard Cox, PhD; and Gohar Manzar, MD, PhD are advancing research and mentoring students at the Graduate School.