UT MD Anderson’s Albert Koong and Katy Rezvani elected to the National Academy of Medicine

Two researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have been elected to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine for breakthrough discoveries and research that have helped shape cancer care and research.

Albert Koong, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific officer and professor of Radiation Oncology, is recognized for transforming routine radiation therapy for pancreatic and liver cancers, advancing new technologies, and for discovering new therapeutic targets. Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D., vice president and head of the Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation and professor of Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy, is honored for pioneering new forms of cancer cell therapy using natural killer (NK) cells and for designing scalable manufacturing platforms to speed production and broaden access.

“Drs. Koong and Rezvani have both led remarkable careers dedicated to advancing science and improving patient care,” said Jeffrey Lee, M.D., president ad interim of UT MD Anderson. “Their groundbreaking research has changed the practice of radiation oncology and cell therapy, and their thoughtful leadership continues to strengthen our institution’s research enterprise. Our 27,000-plus team members and broader UT MD Anderson community congratulate them both on this well-deserved honor.”

The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) is one of the nation’s most prestigious organizations in health and science. Established as the Institute of Medicine under the National Academy of Sciences, it provides independent, evidence-based guidance on issues affecting medicine, healthcare and biomedical research. Members are elected by their peers in recognition of exceptional professional achievement and service, making election to the NAM one of the highest honors in health and medicine.

Koong and Rezvani join 13 additional UT MD Anderson clinicians and scientists in the NAM, including current members Jim Allison, Ph.D., Ronald DePinho, M.D., Ellen Gritz, Ph.D., Guillermina Lozano, Ph.D., Funda Meric-Bernstam, M.D., David Piwnica-Worms, M.D., Ph.D., Helen Piwnica-Worms, Ph.D., Anil Sood, M.D., and Jennifer Wargo, M.D. Former members, now deceased, include Maura Gillison, M.D., Ph.D., Waun Ki Hong, M.D., V. Craig Jordan, Ph.D., and John Mendelsohn, M.D.

Koong Recognized for Seminal Contributions to Radiation Oncology, Cancer Biology

Over the course of his career, Koong has pioneered advances in radiation oncology that changed the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers. He led the first prospective clinical studies demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for pancreatic cancer. At the same time, the Koong Laboratory helped uncover how cancers adapt to the harsh conditions of the tumor microenvironment. Among his most influential discoveries was identifying the IRE1-XBP1 pathway as a critical regulator of cellular responses to hypoxia, a state of low oxygen commonly found in pancreatic tumors. His research opened new opportunities for therapies aimed at disrupting those pathways.

An internationally recognized physician-scientist, Koong joined UT MD Anderson in 2017 as chair and division head of Radiation Oncology, leading one of the world's premier academic radiation oncology programs. In 2026, he was appointed chief scientific officer, overseeing UT MD Anderson’s laboratory and clinical research enterprise and providing strategic leadership for the institution’s scientific mission.

“I am honored to be elected to the National Academy of Medicine and grateful to the many colleagues, collaborators and trainees who have contributed to these discoveries,” Koong said. “It is especially meaningful to see research that began with clinical observations and fundamental questions about tumor biology contribute to advances in care for patients with pancreatic and other cancers.”

Rezvani Honored as Pioneer in Cell Therapy Research and Manufacturing

A distinguished cell therapy researcher, Rezvani led the transformational research that eventually launched UT MD Anderson’s Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation. Her work established NK cells as a new platform for cancer immunotherapy and demonstrated that engineered NK cells can be used as safe, effective and scalable “off-the-shelf” cellular therapies. The Rezvani Laboratory has identified critical genomic, metabolic and donor factors that influence NK cell persistence and resistance, helping guide the development of next-generation cellular therapies designed to improve outcomes and expand access to cellular immunotherapy.

Since joining UT MD Anderson in 2012, Rezvani has built one of the world’s leading research programs focused on cellular immunotherapy. She serves as medical director of UT MD Anderson’s Good Manufacturing Practice and Cellular Therapy Facility, where she oversees efforts to develop and manufacture novel cell therapies for early-phase clinical testing. In 2024, Rezvani was appointed to lead the institution’s new Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation.

“I am deeply grateful for this honor, which belongs to an extraordinary team,” Rezvani said. “For more than a decade we have worked toward a single idea, that the therapy should be waiting for the patient rather than the patient waiting for the therapy. To see engineered natural killer cells reach people who had run out of options, and to know how much more these cells can still do, is the most meaningful part of this work.”