Fehniger Named to Lymphoma Research Foundation Advisory Board

Todd Fehniger, MD, PhD, a Washington University physician-scientist who treats patients at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, has been appointed a member of the scientific advisory board of the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

The board comprises 45 world-renowned lymphoma experts, who guide the planning of the foundation’s research program. They select innovative and promising research aimed at improving outcomes for patients with lymphoma, a broad term for cancer that begins in cells of the lymph system, which is part of the immune system.

Fehniger, who is a professor of medicine at Washington University and co-leads the Hematopoietic Development and Malignancy Program at Siteman, is one of four members recently named to the scientific advisory board.

“Our new members bring unique expertise and will be instrumental in helping us advance the foundation’s mission to realize the promise of science to eradicate lymphoma and serve the community touched by this disease,” said board chair Ann LaCasce, MD.

Board members review grant proposals, make recommendations regarding research priorities and funding to the foundation’s board of directors, evaluate the progress of ongoing research projects, and guide the strategic direction of the foundation’s research programs and consortia.

According to the American Cancer Society, this year an estimated 80,620 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which starts in the white blood cells. Another 8,570 people will be diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, which develops from stem cells in the bone marrow.

In 2022, the Lymphoma Research Foundation awarded Fehniger a grant for his research in natural killer (NK) cell biology and therapy for follicular lymphoma, which affects the lymph nodes. His research focuses on using chimeric antigen receptors and antibodies to direct NK cells to attack lymphoma cells, with the goal of advancing treatments for the disease.

“I am honored to be a part of the Lymphoma Research Foundation advisory board, helping to navigate the many exciting new directions in lymphoma research and treatment,” Fehniger said. “This organization works tirelessly to not only advance new therapies for lymphoma but also provide crucial support and education for patients and families suffering from this disease.”