Andrea Gillis, M.D., MSPH, an assistant professor in the UAB Department of Surgery, and the team from the Neuroendocrine Cancer Research Laboratory have been awarded for the best basic science oral presentation at the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) Multidisciplinary Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) Medical Symposium.

Gillis, on behalf of her team, including Dr. Mourad Bendjennat, Ph.D., presented a project titled “Validation of adversity-linked genes in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors,” which focuses on the study of epigenetics, specifically in examining the variation in neuroendocrine tumor gene expression across different patient populations.

“The NANETS Symposium is an event that I look forward to attending each year,” says Gillis. “I enjoy learning about the exciting work of my colleagues and collaborating with them as we work together to expand the awareness and treatment options available to patients diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumors.”

This year’s NANETS medical symposium took place in Austin, Texas, with over 600 healthcare professionals attending to discuss this significant clinical condition.

This marks another significant research accomplishment led by Gillis – following her recent Paul LoGerfo Research Award at the 2025 American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) 45th Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

About Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs)

NETs affect about 22,000 patients in the United States each year. Healthcare providers must be well-informed about this tumor subtype and its management, as they may encounter it only a few times throughout their careers.