In a growing tradition at the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR), faculty members, trainees and staff gathered at the Purdue Memorial Union on April 3 to recognize exceptional contributions to cancer research across the institute. The ceremony honored individuals whose efforts are helping to advance science, collaboration and community across the PICR.
2026 Recognition Award Winners
Get to know this year’s PICR Award recipients
The annual ceremony reflects the PICR’s continued investment in the people driving cancer research forward, from undergraduate trainees to senior faculty leaders, and highlights the breadth of contributions that power progress against cancer.
Faculty member career research achievement
Career Research Achievement Award
Debbie Knapp
Debbie Knapp is recognized for a career that has helped define the field of comparative oncology and elevate Purdue’s leadership in cancer research and veterinary medicine. Knapp is the Dolores L. McCall Professor and Distinguished Professor of Comparative Oncology, the associate director of clinical comparative oncology at the PICR, and director of the Evan and Sue Ann Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center (WCORC), part of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine & Veterinary Hospital.
Knapp’s work uses naturally occurring cancers in dogs to model human disease, generating insights that benefit both pet animal and human patients. Over more than three decades, she has led clinical trials, contributed to national data resources and expanded Purdue’s comparative oncology capabilities, including playing an integral role in the establishment of WCORC. Her sustained scientific leadership and impact exemplify the highest level of achievement recognized by this award.
Mid-Career Research Achievement Award
Xiaoping Bao
Xiaoping Bao, William K. Luckow Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, is recognized for sustained innovation in engineering immune cell platforms for cancer therapy.
His lab has developed a scalable platform for generating chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) neutrophils from human pluripotent stem cells, addressing key challenges in treating solid tumors. His work combines fundamental discovery with translational application, supported by major federal funding and advancing toward clinical use through patented technologies licensed to a biotechnology startup.
Early Career Research Achievement Award
Brittany Allen-Petersen
Brittany Allen-Petersen, assistant professor of biological sciences, is recognized for building a nationally visible research program focused on the tumor suppressor PP2A and its role in cancer progression and treatment resistance, particularly in pancreatic and lung cancers.
Since joining Purdue, she has secured major external funding, published extensively and emerged as a leader in her field. Her work advances understanding of cancer biology — including how cancer cells adapt their metabolism to survive — while contributing to PICR’s research and training mission.
Service and engagement
Outstanding Service and Engagement Award
Dawn Ogas
Dawn Ogas, data manager and senior database engineer for the PICR, is recognized for her leadership in developing and maintaining the institute’s research data infrastructure.
Her work has enabled accurate tracking and reporting of grants and publications, strengthened institutional operations and supported major initiatives, including national review processes. By building systems that underpin PICR’s research enterprise, she has played a critical role in advancing the institute’s effectiveness and long-term impact.
Trainee career research achievement
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Research Award
Khanh Ha Nguyen
Khanh Ha Nguyen, a student in the College of Science, is recognized for exceptional achievement as an undergraduate researcher.
Her work focuses on improving the engineering of natural killer cells for cancer therapy, with findings already contributing to manuscripts and national presentations. Her productivity, technical skill and commitment to a career in physician-scientist research reflect remarkable promise.
Outstanding Master’s Student Research Award
Chandler Zaugg
Chandler Zaugg, a master’s student in the department of Health Sciences, is recognized for research exploring how radiotherapy can be optimized to enhance immunotherapy.
His work explores how radiotherapy can be optimized to enhance immunotherapy, combining experimental and computational approaches to better understand treatment response. He has made significant contributions to research publications and has presented his findings nationally, reflecting strong productivity and impact at this stage of his training.
Outstanding Doctoral Student Research Award
Sarah Gregor
Sarah Gregor, a doctoral candidate in biochemistry, is recognized for innovative research into how cancer cells respond to oxidative stress.
Her work identified a key metabolic enzyme as a redox sensor that influences gene regulation, providing new insight into cancer metabolism. Supported by NIH fellowships and recognized with departmental honors, she will continue her research in a postdoctoral role at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Outstanding Postdoctoral Fellow Research Award
Zheng Zhang
Zheng Zhang, a postdoctoral researcher in biochemistry, is recognized for discoveries at the intersection of metabolism and protein regulation in cancer.
He identified a previously unknown protein modification linked to cancer-associated metabolites and developed new proteomics approaches to study RNA-protein interactions. His work provides new insight into cancer metabolism and immune-related processes that influence disease progression.
Mentorship
Outstanding Mentorship by a Faculty Member Award
John Tesmer
John Tesmer, Walther Distinguished Professor in Cancer Structural Biology, is recognized for sustained excellence in mentorship and training.
Over his career, he has mentored numerous students and postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have advanced to independent scientific careers. As director of a long-standing NIH-funded training program, he has led the development of interdisciplinary training opportunities that prepare trainees for careers across academia and industry. His sustained commitment to mentorship has shaped the training environment at Purdue and contributed to the development of the next generation of cancer researchers.
Outstanding Mentorship by a Graduate Student Award
Brittany Heil
Brittany Heil is recognized for her exceptional commitment to mentoring students across multiple levels of training.
She has directly mentored five undergraduate students and trained three graduate students, with several of her mentees contributing as co-authors on research publications. Known as a central figure in her lab, she has supported collaborative work across disciplines while maintaining a hands-on, individualized approach to mentorship. Her ability to balance high expectations with strong support has led to measurable growth in her trainees as developing scientists.