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Stephen Fesik

  • Vanderbilt University

    The emperor of all oncogenes

    Oct. 9, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    The emperor of all oncogenes

    Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology William Tansey and Professor of Biochemistry Stephen Fesik are rewriting the playbook for defeating cancer. After ten years of research, the two School of Medicine Basic Sciences investigators are preparing to advance a cancer drug to clinical trials. Read More

    Oct. 9, 2025

  • Vanderbilt University

    NCI grant funds $12 million for colorectal cancer research

    A colorectal cancer research team led by Robert Coffey has received a Specialized Programs of Research Excellence grant renewal totaling $12.6 million from the National Cancer Institute.The team has made numerous discoveries over the past 23 years, and it plans to build upon those achievements with the goal of “drugging the undruggable.” Vanderbilt-Ingram is one of only four cancer centers in the U.S. with GI Cancer SPORE funding. Read More

    Sep. 15, 2025

  • Headshot of Bill Tansey overlaid over a gold background with the Vanderbilt V on the left and

    Promising drug-like compounds found to have strong action against blood cancers

    For researchers, projects can sometimes feel like babies, and there is nothing more satisfying than seeing your baby grow up. For William Tansey, professor of cell and developmental biology, this baby started 10 years ago when he and Stephen Fesik, Orrin H. Ingram II, Professor of Cancer Research and professor of biochemistry, discovered that a protein called WDR5 is a “partner in crime” to MYC, a transcription factor and oncogene that is often mutated in cancers. In fact, dysregulation of MYC is estimated to be responsible for about a third of all cancer deaths annually. Read More

    Sep. 3, 2024

  • Vanderbilt University

    Vanderbilt-discovered cancer killing compound is now available through Boehringer Ingelheim open science portal opnMe

    By targeting a notoriously undruggable protein found in many cancers, the discovery of BI-0474 may pave the way for new cancer treatments. Shared on opnMe.com by Boehringer Ingelheim, this innovative molecule is available for global researchers to explore new research avenues. Read More

    May. 28, 2024

  • Headshot of Steve Fesik wearing a black shirt.

    Professor makes Vanderbilt-discovered cancer targeting molecule freely available to researchers through collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim

    Stephen Fesik, Orrin H. Ingram II Chair in Cancer Research, has conducted pioneering research on some of the most difficult drug discovery targets in cancer research. As a result of his lab’s discoveries, molecule-specific data has been made freely available for download to cancer researchers on the opensource platform opnMe.com, which… Read More

    Nov. 15, 2021