Liang-I Kang, MD, PhD, Instructor of Anatomic and Molecular Pathology in the Department of Pathology & Immunology at Washington University School of Medicine, has received a K12 Paul Calabresi Career Development Award in Clinical Oncology from NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI). The award is meant to “increase the number of clinicians (MDs, DOs, PharmDs, nurses with PhDs or equivalent) trained in clinical and translational cancer research, and to promote their career development as cancer researchers,” NCI said on its website. Dr. Kang was selected for the award by Washington University School of Medicine’s Clinical Research Training Center.
Dr. Kang, an alumni of the department’s Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP), has been promoted to full-time instructor effective March 1 as part of accepting the award. Dr. Kang’s research interests include pre-metastatic niche of liver metastasis, tumor microenvironment, liver metastasis risk factors, liver injury and fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, GI malignancies, deep learning algorithms and image analysis.
“Liang’s work in metastatic pancreatic cancer is truly groundbreaking. She has single-handedly developed a new in vivo model for liver metastasis for PDAC, which is desperately needed as there were previously no good models for this devastating sequelae. Liang is the first AP/PSTP and the first female trainee in the Pathology PSTP to garner a K career transition award. As a practicing GI pathologist, Liang is leveraging insights from her clinical work to synergize with her basic science research for deployment in her future independent research program. In short, Liang is the picture of a Pathologist Scientist,” said Jacqueline Payton, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Pathology & Immunology, and Co-Director of the Physician Scientist Training Program.
