Lung Cancer Initiative Names New Chief Scientific Officer and Announces 2025 Research Award Recipients

Lung Cancer Initiative has appointed Neal Ready, MD, PhD, as its first Chief Scientific Officer: © stock.adobe.com.

Lung Cancer Initiative (LCI) has appointed Neal Ready, MD, PhD, as its first Chief Scientific Officer. A longtime leader at LCI and medical oncologist at Duke Cancer Institute, Dr. Ready will guide the organization’s research efforts and strengthen its impact on lung cancer care. “Dr. Ready’s leadership and passion have shaped our programs since the beginning,” said Amy Cipau, LCI’s president and founder.

LCI also announced $200,000 in research funding for 2025, including its $150,000 Career Development Award and two $25,000 Innovation in Lung Cancer Research Awards.

Career Development Award Recipient:
• Dr. Eziafa Oduah, Duke University School of Medicine

Project: Investigating the Impact of Intratumoral PCSK9 on Antigen Presentation in NSCLC
Her study explores whether targeting the PCSK9 protein can enhance immune response and improve immunotherapy effectiveness for lung cancer patients.

LCI announced $200,000 in research funding.

Innovation in Lung Cancer Research Award Recipients:

• Dr. Robert Meyerhoff, Duke UniversityProject: Transcriptome Profiling of Functional Anti-Tumor B Cells in NSCLC This research aims to identify novel therapeutic antibodies for personalized immunotherapies.
• Dr. Yuming Jiang, Wake Forest University
  Project: AI for Predicting Recurrence in Early-Stage Lung Cancer
  Dr. Jiang’s model uses deep learning on pathology images to more accurately predict recurrence and inform treatment plans.

Since 2008, LCI has invested over $3.4 million in lung cancer research, supporting innovative projects that improve diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.