Vinod Balachandran Receives the 2024 Yvonne Award in the Breakthrough Research Category

Yvonne Award Winners 2024 by OncoDaily

We are excited to announce the esteemed winners of the Yvonne Award by OncoDaily, designed to recognize young innovators and leaders advancing cancer care.

Yvonne Award in the Breakthrough Research category is presented to Dr. Vinod Balachandran. The OncoDaily team extends heartfelt congratulations and sincere gratitude to Dr. Balachandran for his transformative impact in the field of oncology.

The Yvonne Award in the Breakthrough Research category, presented by OncoDaily, celebrates researchers who have made significant contributions to oncology. This award recognizes those who have pioneered new therapies and insights, dramatically improving patient outcomes.

The recipients of this award are lauded for their exceptional discoveries that have the potential to transform cancer care. Just like the resilient yew tree, known for its longevity, the Yvonne Award in Breakthrough Research honors the strength and enduring impact of these advancements in the field.

About Vinod Balachandran

Dr. Vinod P. Balachandran is a physician-scientist in the Immuno-Oncology Service of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program (HOPP) and a clinically active hepatopancreatobiliary surgical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). He also serves as an Associate Professor of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Dr. Balachandran’s primary research focus is on discovering and developing new immunotherapies for pancreatic cancer. He is particularly interested in studying long-term survivors of pancreatic cancer to uncover immunological principles that can be translated into novel treatment strategies.

His research led to the first clinical trial of personalized mRNA neoantigen vaccines for pancreatic cancer, demonstrating their safety, feasibility, and potential to delay cancer recurrence.

Dr. Balachandran’s contributions to cancer research have earned him numerous awards, including the Trailblazer Prize for Clinician-Scientists from the Foundation for the NIH and the Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research. His work is widely published and cited, reflecting his influence and leadership in the field of oncology.

Dr. Balachandran continues to drive forward innovative research, aiming to transform the landscape of pancreatic cancer treatment and improve outcomes for patients globally.