ASCI / Young Physician-Scientist Awards, 2021
The Young Physician-Scientist Awards (YPSA) recognize physician-scientists who are early in their first faculty appointment and have made notable achievements in their research.
About the awardee
Justin Taylor, MD, is a physician-scientist devoted to improving outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies. He is a tenure-track Assistant Professor and member of the Cancer Epigenetics program at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Taylor lab studies the role of recurrent mutations in hematologic malignancies and how to target them with novel therapeutics using animal modeling, molecular biology and single-cell genomic techniques. The central focus of the lab is on understanding how alterations in nuclear export function due to mutations or overexpression of XPO1 contribute to oncogenesis. The lab uses molecular biology, genomics, proteomics and mouse modeling to determine the mechanisms and potential targetable weaknesses of these genetic alterations. They also study how XPO1 alterations interact with other mutations and the potential role for combination therapy. Specifically, they are currently investigating spliceosome mutations and the impact of XPO1 inhibitors on spliceosomal function. Dr. Taylor also holds a faculty position in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology where he sees patients with hematologic malignancies. He completed residency in Internal Medicine at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Hematology/Oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center followed by post-doctoral training in the lab of Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD. He has published several original research articles as either first or last author in the past year in the following journals: Cancer Discovery, JCO Precision Oncology, Lancet Haematology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Blood and Nature Genetics. He is the principal investigator on grants sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (K08), American Society of Hematology, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Edward P. Evans Foundation for MDS. He has received Young Investigator Awards from ASCO Conquer Cancer Foundation, Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation and Evans MDS Foundation.