Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Physician Scholars Program

In 2021, the Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Physician Scholars Program was established at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) to support promising early-career physician-scientists who have significant insights into cancer and have formulated novel approaches to prevention and treatment.

This highly selective program was launched to meet the demand for top-tier basic or translational researchers within the field of oncology. Through the generosity of Mr. Gerstner, the program provides recipients with up to three years of funding, which would otherwise be difficult to obtain early on in their careers.

Program Eligibility Requirements

The Gerstner Physician Scholars Program is open to early-career, laboratory-based physician-scientists studying at or employed by MSK. Eligible applicants include senior graduate medical education fellows and junior faculty within the first three years of an initial Memorial Hospital appointment.

Applicants must demonstrate a high level of commitment to a long-term career in academic laboratory cancer research. They should be aiming to establish an independent wet or computational research laboratory advancing basic biological or translational research. While applicants may also have an interest in clinical research, these studies should be the result of ideas generated in their own laboratories or through collaborations with independent clinical investigators.

We welcome applicants from a wide range of specialties, including medical oncology, surgical oncology, gynecologic oncology, radiology, radiation oncology, pathology, neurology, pediatric oncology, and infectious diseases.

Program Application and Deadlines

This program is only open to MSK physician-scientists. For more details about the Gerstner Physician Scholars Program, please consult the application, which is available on MSK’s intranet.

Applications are now closed. Please check back in November 2023 for more information.

For questions about the application process, please email the program manager: [email protected].

2023 Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Physician Scholars  

Kimon Argyropoulos, MD, PhD

• Department: Pathology and Lab Medicine
• Current Position: Assistant Attending Pathologist
• Mentors: Marcel van den Brink, MD, PhD and Ahmet Dogan, MD, PhD
• Project Title: Characterization of neural and neuroepithelial niches and their role in the regeneration of the thymus after acute and chronic injury

 

Sarah Eskreis-Winkler, MD, PhD

• Department: Radiology
• Current Position: Assistant Attending Physician, Breast Imaging Service
• Mentor: Sohrab Shah, PhD
• Project Title: Understanding and Eliminating Bias in Breast Imaging Artificial Intelligence Algorithms: A Key Step Towards Equity in Outcome for Breast Cancer Patients in the 21st Century

Karlo Perica, MD, PhD

• Department: Medicine
• Current Position: Assistant Attending Physician, Cellular Therapy Service
• Laboratory Mentor: Michael Sadelain, MD, PhD
• Project Title: Overcoming Resistance to CAR T Cells for Multiple Myeloma Using Novel Synthetic Receptors

Meet the 2022 Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Physician Scholars  

The four physician-scientists in the inaugural class of Gerstner Physician Scholars represent our hopes for elevating basic and translational laboratory cancer science at MSK. The scope of our innovation and excellence depends on fostering a diverse scientific, clinical, and educational community, including these talented investigators.

Susan Ehrenkranz De Wolf, MD

• Department: Medicine
• Current Position: Assistant Attending Physician, Leukemia Service, Memorial Hospital
• Laboratory Mentor: Marcel van den Brink
• Project Title: Harnessing endogenous T cell immunity in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

Morgan Freret, MD, PhD

• Department: Radiation Oncology
• Current Position: Instructor
• Laboratory Mentor: Adrienne Boire
• Project Title: Choroid plexus and the cancer stem cell niche in leptomeningeal metastasis

Juan C. Osorio, MD

• Department: Medicine
• Current Position: Assistant Attending Physician, Gynecology Medical Oncology Service, Memorial Hospital
• Laboratory Mentor: Jeffrey V. Ravetch (The Rockefeller University)
• Project Title: Role of Fc receptors in the therapeutic activity of antibodies targeting the CD47-SIRP-alpha axis

Samir Zaidi, MD, PhD

• Department: Medicine
• Current Position: Assistant Attending Physician, Genitourinary Service, Memorial Hospital
• Laboratory Mentor: Charles Sawyers
• Project Title: Reversion of lineage plasticity and restoration of drug sensitivity in prostate cancer: role of Janus kinase (JAK) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)