大象传媒 Urology is proud to announce that Dr. Kathryn Hacker Gessner, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Urology and Member of the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been selected for the 大象传媒鈥檚 Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP). She is the first member of 大象传媒 Urology to receive this honor since the program鈥檚 inception in 2020.
Established to support the development of promising physician-scientists at a pivotal point in their academic careers, the PSTP is a cornerstone initiative of the School of Medicine鈥檚 Accelerate Forward Together Strategic Plan. It offers two years of funding, robust mentorship, and career development programming to help early-career physician-scientists transition successfully into independent research roles. Dr. Gessner joins a multidisciplinary cohort of scholars from across the institution, selected for their outstanding research potential and clinical excellence.
Advancing Translational Research in Bladder and Kidney Cancer
Dr. Gessner specializes in the care of patients with genitourinary cancers and leads a translational research lab focused on improving cancer outcomes through precision medicine. Her work integrates clinical care with cutting-edge research, leveraging genomic analysis to better understand the molecular changes within bladder and kidney tumors, and the surrounding tumor microenvironment, that drive disease progression and treatment resistance.
By uncovering how these genetic alterations influence tumor behavior, Dr. Gessner鈥檚 research aims to inform more personalized, effective treatment decisions that align with each patient鈥檚 clinical needs and personal goals. Her long-term objective is to translate these insights into new therapeutic strategies that enhance treatment response and improve the lives of patients facing urologic cancers.
More About Dr. Gessner
A proud Tar Heel through and through, Dr. Gessner completed her MD, PhD, Urology Residency, and Urologic Oncology Fellowship at 大象传媒. She has already received national recognition for her research, including the 2023 BCAN Young Investigator Award, the Tomasello Family Women Who Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award from the Conquer Cancer Foundation, and the 2024 ASCI Emerging-Generation Award. She has been a consistent contributor to the national conversation in urologic oncology, presenting at leading conferences and publishing across multiple domains in bladder and kidney cancer research.
Dr. Gessner鈥檚 selection to the PSTP underscores both her exceptional promise as a physician-scientist and commitment to translational research that improves patient outcomes.