News | Siolas Lab

In the Media: Women’s Health Feature

December 10, 2025

Dr. Despina Siolas was recently featured in Women’s Health discussing “12 Cancer Symptoms to Never Ignore.” As a physician–scientist, she believes it is important to step outside the lab and clinic to communicate health information that matters to the public. Subtle symptoms—such as persistent bloating, changes in bowel habits, or unexpected weight changes—can be early signs of serious underlying conditions....

Joining the Project Purple Scientific Research Committee

December 10, 2025

Dr. Despina Siolas was selected to join the inaugural Project Purple Scientific Research Committee, a group of physician–scientists united by the shared goal of accelerating progress in pancreatic cancer research. Project Purple has long been a leader in supporting patients and funding innovative projects. Through this new committee, she will work to ensure that research investments have the greatest possible impact on advancing patient...

New Collaboration with Tezcat Biosciences

December 10, 2025

Our lab is excited to announce a new collaboration with Tezcat Biosciences, supported by a Phase II SBIR award from the National Cancer Institute. Together, we will conduct advanced preclinical testing of TZT-102 in KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer, leveraging patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models to explore new therapeutic opportunities. This partnership bridges biotech innovation with academic translational research, with the shared goal...

Conference Highlights: Cold Spring Harbor and the PanCAN Scientific Summit

December 10, 2025

Over the past few weeks, Dr. Despina Siolas had the privilege of presenting her research on KRAS mutant pancreatic cancer at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Biology of Cancer: Metastasis and the Microenvironment meeting and at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Scientific Summit. From in-depth discussions of tumor biology at CSHL to collaborative efforts through the SPARK platform, these meetings reinforced a core truth—progress in...

Undergraduate Research Spotlight: Mayar Abdelalim

December 10, 2025

We are proud to share that Mayar Abdelalim, an undergraduate researcher in our lab at Weill Cornell Medicine, presented her work at the 2025 AMWA Region 2 Pre-Medical Research Conference. Her project explores how tumor genetics influence immune visibility, a key question in understanding immune evasion in pancreatic cancer. Mayar’s project earned second place in recognition of...

Hockey with a Heart: Blackburn Family Cancer Foundation Honored at New York Islanders Game in Support of Pancreatic Cancer Research

December 10, 2025

Members of the Siolas Lab were grateful to join the Blackburn Family Cancer Foundation at UBS Arena, where the Foundation was recognized as the beneficiary of the New York Islanders’ 50/50 raffle. The Blackburn family has been a longstanding supporter of pancreatic cancer research and patient care, and their generosity plays a meaningful role in advancing the...

Reflecting on Mentorship and Resilience in GI Oncology

December 10, 2025

Dr. Despina Siolas was recently featured in GI Oncology Now to discuss the vital role of mentorship, resilience, and collaboration in translational cancer research. She emphasized the importance of guiding young scientists, cultivating perseverance, and fostering an environment where ideas and encouragement are freely exchanged.

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New Publication: Multimodal Management of MSI-H Colon Cancer With Isolated Peritoneal Metastases

December 10, 2025

Our team has published new real-world evidence study addressing a rare, but clinically challenging scenario: microsatellite instability–high (MSI-H) colon cancer presenting with isolated peritoneal metastases (iPM) (Metzger et al., Cancers, 2025)....

Siolas Lab Awarded 2025 PICI Pilot Grant to Advance Colorectal Cancer Immunotherapy Research

April 25, 2025

We are excited to share that Dr. Despina Siolas has been awarded a 2025 Pilot Grant from the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) and the Weill Cornell Medicine Meyer Cancer Center. This competitive funding supports her innovative project titled “Gut microbiota control of immune suppression in colorectal cancer liver metastases” and features collaborations with Dr. Manish Shah and Dr. Greg Sonnenberg. This work aims to explore how microbial...

“Coaching for a Cure”: Staten Island Hockey Community Rallies for Pancreatic Cancer Research

April 18, 2025

Blackburns and Dr Siolas at hockey game
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of...

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