Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship

Mary Beth Maddox Award & Lectureship Logo

The Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship was established in honor of Mary Beth Maddox, former Executive Director of TAMEST, who passed away in 2018 after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer.

This award and lectureship recognizes women scientists in Texas bringing new ideas and innovations to the fight against cancer.

The recipient will be honored at the TAMEST 2024 Annual Conference, where they will present their research to attendees and also receive a $5,000 honorarium and award. The conference will be held February 5–7, 2024, at AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin, Texas.

In addition to being honored at the TAMEST Annual Conference, the recipient will promote their work and discoveries across the state at established lecture and seminar series at TAMEST member institutions with NIH National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Centers:

The award covers the recipient’s travel and lodging for the lectures and includes organized visits and networking at the NCI Cancer Centers.

Nominations for the 2024 Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship closed on September 25, 2023. For questions, please contact Stephanie Shaw at (512) 471-3823 or stephanie.shaw@austin.utexas.edu.

Mary Beth Maddox Award Lecture Series Information

2023 Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship Recipient Florencia McAllister, M.D., The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, will present her groundbreaking cancer research on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Details about this lecture will be provided as they become available.

Eligibility Criteria

This award and lectureship recognizes a woman who is an innovative scientist residing and working in Texas. In order to be eligible, the nominee must:

  1. Have spent the past two years performing research in Texas.
  2. Have current work anchored in cancer research.
  3. Be within ten years of their first faculty appointment or 15 years from their first full-time industry-affiliated position at the end of the year in which the nomination is made.
  4. Not be a TAMEST member.
  5. Not be a team. The award and lectureship may only be awarded to an individual. Team nominations are not eligible.

For more information, read the Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship Nomination Guide.

Nominator Requirements

Qualified nominators include TAMEST members, university presidents, chancellors, deans, provosts, vice presidents for research, and past Edith and Peter O’Donnell Awards recipients. Multiple nominations from a single institution or organization will be eligible.

Selection Process

A committee of TAMEST members will evaluate nominations and select the finalist. The TAMEST Board of Directors provides final approval of the recipient.

Required Nomination Materials

  • Nomination form.
  • A letter from the nominator (two pages maximum) describing the candidate’s outstanding accomplishments associated with cancer research and discovery.
  • A brief (50 words maximum) citation indicating how the nominee’s work advances the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer.
  • Abbreviated nominee biographical sketch.
  • A list of five (5) of the most important research publications that directly support the candidate’s research accomplishments and a link to an electronic PDF version of each research publication.

Nomination Information Requirements

The information provided in the nomination materials is crucial to the evaluation of the nominee’s achievements. The following components are required to complete the nomination packet:

  1. One nomination letter
    A two-page maximum letter of support from the nominator, which comprehensively describes the importance and direct impact of the nominee’s research as it relates to cancer. The letter must specifically illustrate the innovative research of the candidate and how their work holds promise for continued contributions in the fight against cancer (supported by relevant metrics).
  2. A citation statement from the nominator (50 words maximum) defining the field(s) of cancer research in which the nominee excels, their particular discoveries or technological developments, and their impact or potential impact on cancer research.
  3. Abbreviated biographical sketch including:
    • A summary of education, employment, honors and awards including recognition or awards received from the nominee’s institution or employer (NIH Biographical Sketches may be used);
    • A summary of the nominee’s research interests and activities; and
    • A synopsis of the nominee’s discoveries and research contributions.
      • Additional information on citations, papers, books and reports is welcome.

Submission Deadline

All nomination materials for the 2024 Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship must be received in electronic form by Monday, September 25, 2023.

Contact Information

For more information, please contact: Stephanie Shaw at (512) 471-3823 or stephanie.shaw@austin.utexas.edu.

Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship Recipients

Nidhi Sahni

2024 Recipient
Nidhi Sahni, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Nidhi Sahni, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, is the recipient of the 2024 Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship. She was chosen for her role in identifying novel biomarkers and drug targets, which are expected to have a significant impact on cancer by translating into more effective prognosis and therapy for the disease.

Learn more about Dr. Sahni and her research > 

Florencia McAllister

2023 Recipient
Florencia McAllister, M.D.

Associate Professor
Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Florencia McAllister, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, is the recipient of the 2023 Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship. She was chosen for her seminal discoveries at the intersection of microbes, the immune system and pancreatic cancer, leading to insights into early detection, prevention and therapeutic strategies to fight the disease.

Learn more about Dr. McAllister and her research > 

Yun Nancy Huang, Ph.D.

2022 Recipient
Yun Nancy Huang, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Institute of Biosciences and Technology
Texas A&M Health

Yun Nancy Huang, Ph.D., is the 2022 recipient of the TAMEST Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship. Dr. Huang’s research focuses on epigenetics or the “software” that runs the human genome, which is one of the most promising targets for disease prevention.

Learn more about Dr. Huang and her research > 

Committee Members

Photo of Gordon R. England

Founding Chair

Gordon R. England (NAE)

Dyno-Tech

Image of Dr. Ralph J. Deberardinis

Committee Chair

Ralph J. DeBerardinis, M.D., Ph.D. (NAM)

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Ronald DePinho

Ronald A. DePinho, M.D. (NAM, NAS)

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Helen Elisabeth Heslop, M.D., D.Sc. (Hon)

Helen Elisabeth Heslop, M.D., D.Sc. (Hon) (NAM)

Baylor College of Medicine

Image of Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez

Amelie G. Ramirez, Dr.P.H. (NAM)

UT Health San Antonio

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