Achievements & Recognition

Stefan Bossmann, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Cancer Biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, was selected by the National Academy of Inventors, which recognizes and promotes academic invention, to join the 2025 class of senior members. Dr. Bossmann is the first senior member from the medical center. 

J. Steven Leeder, PharmD, PhD, executive director of the Children’s Mercy Research Institute, received the American College of Clinical Pharmacology Distinguished Investigator Award. This award recognizes superior scientific expertise and accomplishments by a senior investigator. 

Debra Sullivan, PhD, RD, was named a University Distinguished Professor. This honor acknowledges faculty who have made significant and sustained contributions to research, scholarship, teaching and education at the University of Kansas Medical Center. 

Jerry Workman, PhD, an Investigator at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors awarded to scientists. The election recognizes his lifetime achievements, including groundbreaking discoveries and leadership in the field of gene regulation. 

Steven Soper, PhD, Foundation Distinguished Professor in the departments of Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering, was named to the 2025 class of National Academy of Inventors Fellows. Election as an academy fellow is the highest professional distinction awarded exclusively to academic inventors. 

Joseph McGuirk, DO, division director of the Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics program, is a recipient of Kansas City University’s Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Sufi Thomas, PhD, associate director for Basic Science and professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, and Dinesh Pal Mudaranthakam, PhD, co-director of the Biostatistics and Informatics Shared Resource and assistant professor of Biostatistics and Data Science, were named Faculty of the Year award recipients by the Kansas Board of Regents. This program recognizes the contributions of faculty at state universities to teaching, student success, research and Kansas communities. 

Abdulraheem Yacoub, MD, professor of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics, received the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms – Research Consortium’s inaugural Excellence in Clinical Investigation award. 

Nikki Nollen, PhD, co-leader of The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control research program and professor of Population Health, was accepted into the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco class of 2025 fellows. This distinction recognizes Dr. Nollen’s contributions to the field of nicotine and tobacco research. 

Darren Wallace, PhD, professor in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension in the Department of Internal Medicine, was awarded the Chancellors Club Research Award. 

Patricia Kluding, PhD, PT, professor of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training, is a recipient of the Chancellor’s Club Teaching Professorship. It is awarded to those who have demonstrated outstanding teaching competence, innovation in teaching methodologies and dedication to education over a prolonged period. 

Hartmut Jaeschke, PhD, ATS, FAASLD, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, was awarded the Dolph C. Simons Sr. Award in the Biomedical Sciences, which is a Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Award.

Anthony Fehr, PhD, associate professor of molecular biosciences, was named a recipient of the 2024 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. It is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to early-career researchers who show great potential for leading scientific advancements in the 21st century. 

Susan Carlson, PhD, AJ Rice professor of nutrition in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, was selected as one of the top reviewers for The Journal of Nutrition by the American Society of Nutrition.

Director’s Awards

Civic Leadership and Philanthropy 
Cinelli Family Foundation 

Clinical Trial Accrual 
Tara Lin, MD, Professor, Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics 

Community Clinical Trial Accrual 
Ryan Rader, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology 

Young Scientist 
Mark Farrell, PhD, Associate Professor, Medicinal Chemistry 

William Jewell Team Science 
Biostatistics and Data Science Team, including Matthew Mayo, PhD, Dinesh Pal Mudaranthakam, PhD, Devin Koestler, PhD, and Byron Gajewski, PhD

Closing Disparities 
Joseph Hines II, MPH, Senior Director, Research Operations, Director, CAREERS in CLINICAL RESEARCH (C-CLEAR) program 

Basic Science 
Wen-Xing Ding, PhD, Professor, Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics 

Clinical Science 
Tara Lin, MD, Professor, Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics 

Outstanding Staff 
Christine Thomas, Senior Director, Public Relations, Communications and Strategic Partnerships