Li’an Williams, a Medical Scientist Training Program student in the laboratory of Lalita Shevde-Samant, Ph.D., Endowed Professor in Experimental Cancer Therapeutics in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, was recently named a recipient of the 2026 O’Neal NextGen Scholar Award.
This predoctoral award, funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, provides two years of support for her research project titled, “Hedgehog Inhibition Programs CD8+ Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells for Sustained Anti-Tumor Immunity in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.” The study focuses on the intersection of developmental signaling and tumor immunology, exploring how targeted inhibition can enhance long-term immune responses in aggressive breast cancer models.
“I am honored to receive this award,” said Williams. “This funding will be instrumental in advancing my doctoral research.”
The O’Neal NextGen Predoctoral Scholars Award aims to enable promising predoctoral students to obtain mentored cancer research training from O’Neal Cancer Center faculty advisors, enhancing the awardee’s development into a productive, independent cancer researcher.