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Meet the 2026 Career Development Award and Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Grantees
The Lymphoma Research Foundation announced its 2025 grant class — 24 research grants awarded, including 3 Career Development Award (CDA) and 10 Postdoctoral Fellowship grants, to scientists based at many of the world’s leading cancer research institutions — totaling $2.7 million in innovative lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) research.
The 2026 grantee class encompasses 16 medical and academic institutions, with research initiatives investigating a range of lymphoma subtypes and scientific disciplines including rare T-cell lymphomas, treatments for adolescents and young adults, novel cancer therapies, and disease biology. The grant selection process is led by the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), which is made up of 45 international lymphoma experts dedicated to seeking out the most innovative and promising lymphoma research projects for investment. Detailed profiles of the Foundation’s 2026 CDA and Postdoctoral Fellowship grantees follow:
Clinical Career Development Award (CDA)
Neha Akkad, MD
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Research Study: Advancing Patient-Centered Measures in T-Cell Lymphoma
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Alexander Boardman, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Research Study: Characterizing and Targeting Myeloid Cells in the Lymphoma TME to Enhance CD19 CAR T Cells
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Mengyang Di, MD, PhD
University of Washington
Research Study: PROMOTE-FL: Pirtobrutinib-Mosunetuzumab Enhancing Efficacy in Previously Treated Follicular Lymphoma
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Andrew Jallouk, MD, PhD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Research Study: Alloreactive Cell Priming and Elimination to Improve Efficacy of Allogeneic CAR T Cell Therapy
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Christina Poh, MD
City of Hope
Research Study: Advancing First-Line Therapy for Nodal T-Follicular Helper Cell Lymphoma
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Sandeep Raj, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Research Study: Disrupting the Ecosystem of Resistance to CAR-T Therapy in Large B-Cell Lymphoma
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Seda Tolu, MD
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
Research Study: Proposal Title: Alloreactive Cell Priming and Elimination to Improve Efficacy of Allogeneic CAR T Cell Therapy
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Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant
Federico Mario Aletti, MD
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Research Study: Development and Preclinical Evaluation of KIR3DL2-Targeting CAR T Cells for T Cell Lymphomas
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Thomas Corner, DPhil.
Yale University
Research Study: Enhancing the Efficacy of EZH2-Targeted Therapeutics using Induced-Proximity
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Xin Meng, PhD
Yale University
Research Study: Dissecting mechanisms and targeting of ß-catenin protein degradation in B-cell malignancies
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Shelby Sloan, PhD
The Ohio State University
Research Study: Targeting classical Hodgkin Lymphoma and its immunosuppressive microenvironment with CD74-CART cells
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Herman Van Besien, MD
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Oliver W. Press, MD, PhD Memorial Fellow
Research Study: Unmasking Immunogenic Antigens in EBV lymphoma
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Yulai Zhou, MD, PhD
Yale University
Research Study: Mechanistic understanding and targeting of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma extranodal dissemination
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Pulse is a publication of the Lymphoma Research Foundation, providing the latest updates on the Foundation and its focus on lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) research, awareness, and education