FIESTA BALL
■❚ PHILANTHROPY
FIESTA BALL
Zuzanna Sztul , Rachael Guenter , Victoria Frazier , Katherine McElroy
The O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center ’ s Young Supporters Board hosted the 16th annual Fiesta Ball on May 5 , 2023 , at Haven . More than 250 guests enjoyed an evening featuring live music , a fiesta-themed meal from Iz Catering and a silent auction .
Fiesta Ball raised $ 138,679 for the Mary Ann Harvard NextGen Scholar Award and the Jacob Baker NextGen Scholar Award , named in memory of late members of the Young Supporters Board . The NextGen Scholar awards provide young cancer researchers at UAB with funding to jumpstart their research , with the goal of leveraging their findings to compete for additional federal grants .
Lauren Nassour-Caswell received this year ’ s Mary Ann Harvard NextGen Scholar Award . Nassour-Caswell is currently a biochemistry and structural biology theme student in the UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences program , and her research aims to provide new insights into overcoming therapeutic resistance in glioblastoma and greatly progress the field of cellular intercommunication .
The recipient of this year ’ s Jacob Baker NextGen Scholar Award , Manoj Kumar , Ph . D ., is a postdoctoral fellow in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine ’ s Department of Radiation Oncology . Kumar ’ s research investigates the role of FLASH radiation , an innovative ultra-high dose radiation therapy with the potential to improve the therapeutic index for glioblastoma and other cancers .
Nassour-Caswell and Kumar are sponsored by Christopher Willey , M . D ., Ph . D ., senior scientist at the O ’ Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Hale-Stephens ROAR Endowed Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology . Willey presented both trainees with their awards at this year ’ s Fiesta Ball and offered a thank you to the sponsors and supporters that make these awards possible .
— EMMA HOLMES
Averie Armstead Jones and Mazie Bryant
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