Celebration of Research: Tom Yankeelov Among UT Faculty Members Honored for Transformative Contributions

Five University of Texas at Austin researchers — whose work includes revolutionizing cancer treatment and reimagining how the world experiences Jane Austen — were honored at the annual Celebration of Research.

The event, hosted by President Jim Davis, recognized recipients of two prestigious awards: the President’s Research Impact Award, honoring researchers whose work has fundamentally changed lives and perspectives, and the University Research Excellence Awards, celebrating career-long accomplishments, creative research endeavors, and groundbreaking research papers.

Thomas Yankeelov, director of the Oden Institute’s Center for Computational Oncology and W.A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. Chair in Computational Engineering and Sciences, and Janine Barchas, Chancellor’s Council Centennial Professor in the Book Arts and an English professor in the College of Liberal Arts received the 2026 President’s Research Impact Award.

Transforming Cancer Treatment Through Digital Innovation

Yankeelov, who is also a professor of biomedical engineering in the Cockrell School of Engineering, is a global leader in the development of personalized data-driven digital twins, or virtual representation, created from noninvasive medical imaging that can predict how breast cancer tumors will respond to various treatments. This allows clinicians to virtually test different therapies and select the most effective approach for each patient, potentially avoiding ineffective treatments and unnecessary side effects.

Yankeelov, who established the Center for Computational Oncology at the Oden Institute, is internationally recognized for his seminal contributions to the quantitative imaging and mathematical modeling of cancer and translating these techniques into clinical applications. He’s currently working with MD Anderson Cancer Center to test his predictive models in clinical trials and determine how they can be incorporated into patient care. The goal is for this approach to be established by the time the UT medical center opens in partnership with MD Anderson in 2030.

“His work in developing robust models of cancer micro-physiology and biology is at the leading edge of enabling predictions for individual patients to allow for individualized cancer treatments” said Caroline Chung, vice president and chief data and analytics officer at MD Anderson. “He is an outstanding scientist, a gifted educator and a passionate leader dedicated to advancing the field of computational oncology to improve the lives of patients.”
 

Bringing Jane Austen to a New Generation

The revered English novelist Jane Austen was born 250 years ago, yet she continues to captivate modern audiences thanks to Barchas’ work. In addition to writing traditional academic books, Barchas has pursued nontraditional and innovative projects that have engaged broad public audiences.

“Janine has had a great impact on the world of Austen studies,” said Lizzie Dunford, director of Jane Austen’s House Museum. “Janine embraces all sorts of different ways of looking at Austen’s life and work. It is impossible not to be inspired by her work.”

Recognizing Research Excellence

The University Research Excellence Awards recognize faculty members who represent any discipline and are selected annually through a competitive peer review process.

The Office of the Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors oversees the nomination and selection process. To view videos of the recipients, visit the TEXAS Research YouTube channel.

Adapted from UT News. See a list of all award recipients here.

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