Kathryn O’Donnell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and a member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been named Chair of the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Comprised of world-renowned scientists, physicians, and thought leaders, the SAB helps review and assess proposals submitted to LCRF’s research grant programs.

“My lab was funded by LCRF at a very early stage in my career, and I am thrilled to be able to give back and contribute to this wonderful organization,” Dr. O’Donnell said. “LCRF has funded over 400 research grants, totaling nearly $44 million – the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting lung cancer research. The idea of funding the best young investigators and postdoctoral fellows is particularly exciting because it will enable these researchers to launch their careers and successfully compete for additional support. Ultimately, I will be able to help accelerate progress in the field, which is incredibly rewarding.”

In 2021, Dr. O’Donnell joined an LCRF task force, where she worked with highly respected members of the lung cancer research community to build a research road map identifying unmet needs and outlining specific areas for research investment. She was invited to join the SAB in 2022.

“As SAB Chair, I want to continue the LCRF tradition of supporting innovative research with the greatest potential to address unmet needs and improve outcomes for the lung cancer community. I also would like to continue to expand our research programs and make new connections with lung cancer researchers and clinicians who are working on the most exciting questions in the field,” she said.

The O’Donnell Lab at UT Southwestern is focused on understanding the mechanisms that contribute to tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis and applying insights gained toward the development of new therapies for lung cancer. The laboratory has a long-standing interest in identifying and characterizing oncogenic cell surface proteins in lung cancer due to their potential as novel therapeutic targets.

“Several of these cell surface proteins regulate cell signaling and cancer cell metabolism, and we have generated therapeutic antibodies against one of these targets. We are continuing to develop and improve this new therapeutic, and we are excited to see whether this boosts the ability of the antibody to enhance the killing of tumor cells by immune cells,” she said.

In addition, the O’Donnell Lab recently uncovered new mechanisms that regulate immune surveillance in cancer.

“Cancer cells are known to co-opt immune checkpoint pathways to escape detection by the immune system,” she explained. “Using a genome-wide CRISPR screening approach, we discovered a new way in which PD-L1, an important immune checkpoint protein, is upregulated in tumor cells at the level of translation. This has important implications for our understanding of immune surveillance and therapeutic targeting of this pathway.”

Looking ahead, O’Donnell Lab members will continue performing deep mechanistic studies of the new lung cancer drivers they have identified.

“New therapeutic strategies based upon targeting these proteins, or their downstream effectors, will be developed,” Dr. O’Donnell said. “In addition, I am excited to apply robust genetic approaches, including CRISPR screens, to identify new oncogenic mechanisms that drive human cancers.”