JKTG Foundation Scholars Program Supports Scientists Across Critical Areas of Biomedical Research

Five New Scholars Conducting Research at Johns Hopkins Medicine

The Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Foundation for Health and Policy (JKTG Foundation)  today announced five recipients of the JKTG Scholars Program investigating cellular influence on health and disease, part of its commitment to supporting research at a time when funding for scientists is increasingly limited.

“Breakthroughs start with people,” said Ted Giovanis, founder and president of the JKTG Foundation. "This program does more than fund research.  It ensures we push to better understand both health and disease."

2026 JKTG Foundation Scholars:

Jian Liu, Ph.D.| Faculty: How Cells Sense and Respond to Their Environment // Liu studies how cells sense the stiffness of their surroundings and use that information to move. This process is important in cancer, where tumor cells can move away from stiff tumors into softer tissue, a key step in metastasis. Liu's work focuses on “focal adhesions,” which are the cell’s grip points on its environment, and investigates how changes in these structures control whether cells move toward stiffer or softer areas. Using both computer models and experiments, the goal is to find a single explanation for both normal cell movement and cancer-related spread.

Miho Iijima, Ph.D. | Faculty: How Pancreatic Cancer Cells Adapt to Different Tissue Environments // Iijima studies how pancreatic cancer cells respond to different types of surrounding tissue, which can range from soft early-stage environments to very stiff, scar-like tumor tissue. The focus is on a molecular switch called RHOA that changes how cells move depending on the environment. Iijima has found RHOA can either promote movement or help cancer cells remodel dense tissue. The project uses 3D lab models and live imaging to understand how these mechanical environments control cancer invasion, with the goal of revealing new ways to limit tumor spread.

Mikayla Chen | Ph.D. Candidate: How Lipid Metabolism Drives Pancreatic Cancer Progression // Chen studies pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), an aggressive cancer that frequently spreads to the liver and remains one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Her research focuses on how cancer cells use lipids, including cholesterol and fatty acids, to fuel tumor growth and metastasis. By investigating the Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protein (SREBP) pathway, a key regulator of lipid metabolism, Chen aims to understand how both internal cellular processes and external factors such as diet influence cancer progression.

Thu Le | Ph.D. Candidate: How the Brain Transmits Signals Without Myelin // Le studies how the brain processes information, specifically how nerve cells, or neurons, send signals through axons without myelin, which use a special “string of pearls” structure. Modeling suggests this arrangement may help electrical signals travel faster. Preliminary data show that voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels preferentially cluster in the “pearl” sections, and this project investigates how these proteins are organized along the nanostructure and how signals are conducted in non-myelinated axons prevalent in the brain’s gray matter.

Tanae Lewis | Ph.D. Candidate: How Cells Regulate Sperm Development and Male Infertility // Male infertility affects 7% of men worldwide and Lewis is focusing on a Drosophilia gene that may help control how sperm cells grow and function. This project aims to better understand how this gene regulates cellular processes during sperm development and why some men experience infertility.

The JKTG Scholars Program is part of the JKTG Foundation’s broader commitment to advancing basic science and accelerating progress in breast cancer research, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for patients. 

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About the JKTG Foundation

The Jayne Koskinas Ted Giovanis Foundation for Health and Policy (JKTG Foundation) funds cancer research, policy projects and events that foster collaboration and public discussion to improve the quality and effectiveness of care patients experience. Learn more at www.jktgfoundaiton.org.