TAMEST Announces Susan Bullman, Ph.D., of UT MD Anderson, as Recipient of 2027 Mary Beth Maddox Award & Lectureship
She was selected for her groundbreaking discoveries demonstrating how tumor-colonizing bacteria drive cancer progression, fuel treatment resistance and enable immune evasion. Her work has transformed our understanding of the tumor microbiome and pioneered new avenues for targeted therapeutic intervention.
The Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship recognizes women scientists in Texas bringing new ideas and innovations to the fight against cancer. It was established in 2022 in honor of Mary Beth Maddox, former Executive Director of TAMEST, who passed away after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Bullman’s research has revolutionized the understanding of tumor-associated microbes, proving they are active, influential drivers of malignancy rather than passive bystanders. Her foundational work revealed that “Fusobacterium nucleatum” migrates alongside primary colorectal cancer cells to distant metastatic sites and that therapeutically targeting these bacteria can reduce tumor burden. Since establishing her independent laboratory, Dr. Bullman has integrated spatial multi-omics, single-cell technologies and functional preclinical models to map structured bacterial niches within tumors, uncovering how localized microbial communities trigger immune exclusion and reprogram cancer cell behavior.
To overcome technical hurdles in simultaneously analyzing host cells and intracellular microbes, Dr. Bullman developed INVADEseq (intracellular pathogen single-cell RNA sequencing), an innovative single-cell sequencing methodology that has become widely adopted across cancer research and microbiology. Her recent discoveries have further linked intratumoral bacterial communities to chemotherapy resistance, identified distinct colorectal-adapted bacterial lineages and shown that high bacterial burdens can push cancer cells into a dormant, drug-tolerant state associated with poor clinical response in patients.
“Dr. Bullman embodies the spirit of the Mary Beth Maddox Award as an exceptionally accomplished scientist whose highly impactful discoveries have opened an entirely new area of cancer biology,” said Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship Committee Chair Helen Heslop, M.D., D.Sc. (Hon) (NAM), Baylor College of Medicine. “By combining innovative multi-omic approaches with a strong translational focus, she is generating critical insights with the potential to improve cancer treatment.”
In addition to leading an internationally recognized research program, Dr. Bullman serves as an Affiliated Faculty Director of Host-Microbe Interactions within UT MD Anderson’s PRIME-TR platform, is an associate member of the James P. Allison Institute at UT MD Anderson, and holds a granted U.S. patent for technologies targeting tumor-infiltrating bacteria. Her work has garnered significant support, including a $4 million Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Rising Star Award and three National Cancer Institute (NCI) R01 grants. She has received the inaugural 2025 Gianni Bonadonna Prize, inclusion on the TIME100 Next list and the 40 Under 40 in Cancer distinction.
“Susan is a visionary scientist whose pioneering investigations have fundamentally altered how the oncology community views host-microbe interactions in the tumor microenvironment,” said nominator, TAMEST Member and Nobel Laureate James P. Allison, Ph.D. (NAM, NAS), Regental Professor and Chair of Immunology, Founding Director of Allison Institute, and Olga Keith Weiss Distinguished University Chair for Cancer Research at UT MD Anderson. “Her bold, rigorous and inventive approach is uncovering novel biological mechanisms that will directly inform next-generation immunotherapies and cancer diagnostics. She is an exceptional colleague, a dedicated mentor and extraordinarily deserving of the 2027 Mary Beth Maddox Award and Lectureship.”
Dr. Bullman will be honored at the TAMEST 2027 Annual Conference: Frontiers of Discovery, where she will present her research and receive a $5,000 honorarium and award. The conference takes place February 1–3, 2027, at the InterContinental Houston in Houston, Texas.
In addition to being recognized at the TAMEST Annual Conference, Dr. Bullman will present her research across the state during established lectures and seminars at TAMEST member institutions with National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Centers:
- Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine
- John H. Blaffer Lecture Series, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Mays Cancer Center Grand Rounds, UT Health San Antonio
- Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center
The award covers the recipient’s travel and lodging for statewide lectures and coordinates specialized site visits and collaborative networking with cancer center leadership and trainees.
