As one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, UT Southwestern is known for impactful discoveries. Our faculty approach their work with curiosity and collegiality, often partnering with colleagues in other disciplines and nurturing the careers of rising stars. They are pushing the boundaries of what we know and inspiring what can be.
A Breakthrough Discovery Into How Cancers Grow
A multidisciplinary research team upended the traditional view of how tumors acquire purine nucleotides. The impact of their findings ranges from how chemotherapy resistance occurs to identifying metabolic disfunction in other diseases.
The magic often happens at the interface between fields or traditional disciplines. One of our main goals is to create an environment in which people can make discoveries together that they wouldn’t have been able to make on their own.”
Solving the Mystery of the Body’s Defenses
Discoveries by Zhijian “James” Chen, Ph.D., illuminate how innate immunity is triggered, inspiring new approaches to treat many diseases, including cancer. In 2024, Dr. Chen’s research earned him the prestigious Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award.
A Comprehensive Approach to Improving Patient Care
UT Southwestern has developed mechanisms to support researchers in conducting large-scale clinical trials that provide clinicians with evidence-based strategies to enhance patient care.
Read the Full 2025 Scientific Report
- Solving the Mystery of the Body’s Defenses
- Nanotechnology to Deliver Genetic Medicines
- Operating Room Black Box
- Building a Legacy of Transformative Science
- Breakthrough Discovery Into How Cancers Grow
- Comprehensive Approach to Improving Patient Care
- Gut Reaction: Understanding the Microbiome
- Updates + Accolades
On the Cover
Snapshot of Twist2+ cells differentiating to form muscle. A team from the Eric Olson laboratory discovered this novel stem cell in adult skeletal muscle, critical to maintaining muscle mass throughout aging. “This image is really special to me,” says Glynnis Garry, M.D., Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Biology, about the photo depicting one of her earliest discoveries at UT Southwestern, which happened while she was a medical student in the Olson lab. She recalls that upon learning about the Twist2+ cells, Dr. Olson told her: “Magic happens in this lab. Everyone is capable of discovery here.”
Innovation by the Numbers
5,300+
Clinical trials annually
25
Members National Academy of Sciences
$761M
In research expenditures in FY24