UTSW Researcher Receives National Cancer Moonshot Award

Todd Aguilera, MD, PhD

Todd Aguilera, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been named one of 11 inaugural Cancer Moonshot Scholars. The national program recognizes a cohort of early-career investigators from underrepresented groups who have been identified as emerging leaders in cancer research and innovation.

“There is a critical need to pioneer new treatment combinations so patients can be definitively treated with radiation and systemic therapy and avoid invasive surgeries,” Dr. Aguilera said. “We developed an integrated approach to assess early biopsy tissue after short-course radiation therapy, evaluating molecular, cellular, and spatial dynamics that could improve our ability to identify promising combination therapies.”