In recognition of her work in uncovering the mechanisms of the p53 tumor suppressor, Guillermina “Gigi” Lozano, PhD, Chair of Genetics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, has received the 2022 Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
Guillermina “Gigi” Lozano, PhD
Since its inception in 1947, the AAMC Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences has annually honored an individual or team of two individuals whose research has contributed to significant scientific discoveries benefiting human health and well-being, who participate in research beyond their own work through mentorship or review panels, and whose standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity are of the highest caliber.
Focus of Cancer Research
“Gigi’s key discoveries in the field of cancer biology are of tremendous importance, enabling a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that drive tumor development and treatment response. These breakthroughs are necessary for advancing the field and improving the care we bring to our patients,” said Giulio Draetta, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer. “Her commitment to research excellence strengthens our entire MD Anderson community, and we applaud her for this well-deserved recognition.”
Giulio Draetta, MD, PhD
Dr. Lozano is internationally recognized as one of the world’s foremost cancer researchers. She was the first to establish p53 as a transcriptional activator of other genes and highlighted its mutation or deletion as a hallmark of more than 90% of cancers. She also identified the physiologic roles of the Mdm2 and Mdm4 proteins as gatekeepers in cancer development and in regulating p53, providing the backbone for potentially using Mdm2/4 inhibitors as a novel targeted therapy approach.
Dr. Lozano also discovered the key mechanism through which breast cancers with mutant TP53 respond better to chemotherapy than those with wild-type TP53, and she led the development of laboratory models of mutant TP53 that more accurately represent breast and pancreatic cancers. The Lozano Laboratory at MD Anderson remains focused on understanding the effects of wild-type or mutant TP53 on the tumor microenvironment and on genomic stability in cancer development and progression.
Dr. Lozano graduated magna cum laude with degrees in biology and mathematics from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She received her PhD in biochemistry from Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, continuing to Princeton University for a postdoctoral fellowship. She joined MD Anderson in 1987 and has published 261 articles in peer-reviewed journals, reviews, and book chapters over the course of her 35 years at the institution, rising to her current position as Chair of the Department of Genetics. She has also mentored many young scientists, with 33 graduate students receiving their MS and PhD degrees under her direction and 29 postdoctoral fellows having trained in her lab.
