Pachynski Receives Scholar-Innovator Award

Recognized for innovative research with potential clinical impact

Washington University medical oncologist Russell Pachynski, MD, at Siteman Cancer Center has been honored with a 2024 Scholar-Innovator Award from the Harrington Discovery Institute in Cleveland. He is among 10 physician-scientists nationwide recognized for leading innovative research with potential to advance standard of clinical care.

Pachynski conducts clinical trials and treats patients with genitourinary cancers, focusing on prostate cancer, at Siteman, which is based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. He studies a protein – chemerin – that he has found recruits immune cells into tumor sites and is able to slow tumor growth. Chemerin levels are reduced in multiple cancers. He has developed and patented a chemerin-based therapeutic to boost leukocyte movement to tumor sites and potentially treat cancer.

The two-year award provides $100,000 with an opportunity to compete for up to $300,000 more in funding and to qualify for investment funds up to $2 million. The Harrington Discovery Institute aims to accelerate the development of breakthrough treatments by helping to make innovative research commercially viable and ready for clinical use.