Thazin Nwe Aung, PhD, Associate Research Scientist in Pathology, has been selected for a Patterson Mentored Research Award. Dr. Aung is a member of the Rimm Lab, and her mentor is David Rimm, MD, PhD, Anthony N. Brady Professor of Pathology and of Medicine (Medical Oncology).
Dr. Aung’s research focuses on integrating multi-omics approaches to predict immunotherapy outcomes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which accounts for approximately 890,000 new cases annually worldwide. Her work aims to enhance treatment efficacy by analyzing spatial immune-tumor interactions, leveraging advanced techniques such as spatial transcriptomics and multiplex imaging to develop predictive biomarkers. These biomarkers are urgently needed as current immunotherapy treatments, which cost over $300,000 per patient per year, are effective in only 20-30% of patients, with some experiencing hyper-progression. By mapping immune-tumor interactions and combining cellular, protein, and gene-level data through computational modeling, Dr. Aung aims to develop predictive models to help identify patients most likely to benefit from immunotherapy, improving outcomes and reducing treatment-associated risks.
The award is for a duration of two years, with a total funding amount of $200,000.
The Robert E. Leet and Clara Guthrie Patterson Trust was established in 1980 to support “research relating to human diseases, their causes and relief thereof.” The Mentored Research Award is designed to support research and pilot studies in clinical research that focus on the causes of human disease and/or improving treatment. Applicants must be mentored senior postdoctoral researchers with three to six years of postdoctoral research experience and mentored clinician-scientists with up to six years postdoctoral research experience without a tenure-track faculty position.