Dr. Leonid Metelitsa Honored With Clinical Innovation Impact Award

A major honor for major impact! Dr. Leonid S. Metelitsa, MD, PhD, was recently recognized with the Clinical Innovation Impact Award for his outstanding work in translating research into improved clinical practices and patient outcomes. The award, from Baylor College of Medicine Ventures, was presented at the inaugural Commercialization Symposium.

Based at Texas Children’s Cancer & Hematology Center, Dr. Metelitsa directs the Center for Advanced Innate Cell Therapy (AICT), where his team develops immune-based therapies for childhood cancers. His group was the first to demonstrate that Natural Killer T (NKT) cells localize to primary tumors in patients and that their presence is linked to better clinical outcomes. Today, his research is driving the development of innovative NKT cell-based immunotherapies, with first-in-human clinical trials offering new hope for children with hard-to-treat cancers.

Congratulations to Dr. Metelitsa for translating bold science into better care for children and their families.