MANHASSET, N.Y.– The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research has selected Michelle Monje, MD, PhD, from Stanford University, to receive the 11th annual Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine for her outstanding contributions to research relating to the neuroscience of cancer and its implications for therapy. The prize will be presented on June 20, in conjunction with the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) at Cure on 345 Park Avenue South in Manhattan and will take place as part of a half-day research symposium.
The Ross Prize is made possible by the generosity of Feinstein Institutes board vice chairman Jack Ross and his wife, Robin, assistant vice president of principal gifts at the Northwell Health Foundation. Established in 2013, the Ross Prize is awarded annually through the Feinstein Institutes’ peer-reviewed, open-access journal Molecular Medicine. The prize includes a $50,000 award for the recipient and is given to investigators whose research shows high potential for transforming how we treat and cure disease.
Ross Prize recipients continue to make breakthroughs in their respective fields. Helen H. Hobbs, MD, and Jonathan C. Cohen, PhD, received the 2023 Ross Prize – they were the first to discover the genetic cause of fatty liver disease and their work led to a new class of drugs that lower cholesterol. Ross Prize 2022 recipients Katalin Karikó, PhD, and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking messenger RNA (mRNA) research that helped develop COVID-19 vaccines.
“A pioneer in oncology and neuroscience, Dr. Monje’s work has revealed fundamental new insights into tumors of the central nervous system,” said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes, Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research and editor emeritus of Molecular Medicine. “The Ross Prize recognizes the significance and importance of her research in this new field of cancer neuroscience.”
Dr. Monje’s research focuses on the connections between brain science, immune system function, and brain cancer, specifically how brain cells (neurons) and support cells (glia) interact in healthy and disease conditions. In her lab, she studies how the activity of neurons affects the growth of healthy glial cells and the production of new protective cells (myelin) in the brain. Changes in this myelin can lead to cognitive problems, such as those seen in cancer therapy-related cognitive impairment. Additionally, her lab has found that the activity of neurons can also speed up the growth of malignant brain tumors through chemical signals and direct electrical connections between neurons and tumor cells.
“My research dives into the intricate crossroads of neuroscience, immunology and brain cancer biology, highlighting the pivotal role of neuron-glial interactions in both health and oncological conditions,” said Dr. Monje, Milan Gambhir Professor of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology in the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. “I am grateful for the Ross Prize, which will enable me to advance our understanding of the complex cellular interactions important for healthy brain functions and hopefully find new therapies to treat brain cancers and the cognitive impairment that can result from cancer chemotherapy.”
