Saint Louis University assistant professor Stephen Ferris, Ph.D., has been named one of eight recipients of the 2026 Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award, according to a statement released on Mar. 24.
The award is significant because it supports early-career scientists with innovative ideas in cancer research who may not yet have enough preliminary data to secure traditional funding. This year, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awarded $3.2 million overall to early-career scientists, with first-year recipients receiving $400,000 over two years and an opportunity for two additional years of funding.
Ferris is an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Saint Louis University. His project is titled “Defining the Interactions Between NKT Cells, Tumors, and Lipid Antigens.” The research focuses on understanding how natural killer T cells (NKT cells) recognize and respond to cancer. “These cells act as a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity, rapidly responding to targets through their distinctive receptor,” Ferris said. “We currently do not know what tumor lipids can activate NKTs or how NKTs could help the immune system attack tumors.” He added that his work will examine how NKT cells are activated by tumor lipids and aims to identify which lipids trigger this response.
The broader goal of Ferris’s research is to expand knowledge about fundamental immunological processes and explore possibilities for developing new immunotherapies that target multiple types of cancer using NKT cells.
Saint Louis University supports community engagement through service programs and partnerships addressing social needs according to the official website. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate programs as well as over 100 graduate and professional ones according to the official website. In addition, Saint Louis University extends its educational reach internationally with a campus in Madrid, Spain according to the official website.
The university maintains a tradition of Jesuit education emphasizing care for the whole person according to the official website, pursuing truth for the greater glory of God and service to humanity.
