Cancer, meet your match: Andrew Sabin Family Fellows announced

HOUSTON, April 22, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Eight of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's top young researchers were named Andrew Sabin Family Fellows at an event April 21 honoring their benefactor, Andrew Sabin, and representatives of the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation.

In late 2015, Sabin, of East Hampton, N.Y., and his family foundation committed $30 million to establish an endowment funding the Andrew Sabin Family Fellowship Program, designed to encourage creative, independent thinking and high-risk, high-impact research. Eight cancer research fellowships providing $100,000 over two years are to be awarded annually.

The inaugural recipients are: 

• Ken Chen, Ph.D., Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• David Hui, M.D., Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine and General Oncology
• Nicholas Navin, Ph.D., Genetics and Bioinformatics
• Katharina Schlacher, Ph.D., Cancer Biology
• Ferdinandos Skoulidis, M.D., Ph.D., Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology
• Benjamin Smith, M.D., Radiation Oncology and Health Services Research
• Cullen Taniguchi, M.D., Ph.D., Radiation Oncology
• Shannon Westin, M.D., Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine

"I wanted to provide a vehicle so that highly qualified researchers at the world's premier cancer center can focus on important work that can truly help people who suffer from cancer," said Sabin. "This fellowship program will be at MD Anderson in perpetuity. I hope one of the fellows comes up with a cure. It would make me very proud to know that this gift made a difference."

Sabin has served on the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors since 2005 and is president of Sabin Metal Corporation, the largest privately owned precious metals refiner and recycler in the country. He devotes much of his time and energy to advocating on a national level for increased cancer research funding. He is widely known as an avid environmentalist, conservationist and wildlife enthusiast.  

"The generosity of Andy Sabin and his family will decisively advance MD Anderson's commitment to Making Cancer History," said Ronald DePinho, M.D., president of MD Anderson. "As the program continues for generations to come, the potential for enhanced contributions toward MD Anderson's mission to end cancer will grow exponentially. This gift and the research it funds will help give hope to cancer patients and their loved ones around the world."

About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution's sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world. MD Anderson is one of only 45 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). MD Anderson is ranked No. 1 for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" survey. It has ranked as one of the nation's top two hospitals since the survey began in 1990 and has ranked first for 11 of the past 14 years. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).

Follow MDAnderson News on Twitter

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160422/358864

SOURCE The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center