Dr. Kerry Burnstein Honored with the J. Enloe Dodson Chair in Cancer Research
Dr. Burnstein’s work focuses on androgen receptor signaling and experimental therapeutics for a lethal and incurable stage of prostate cancer.
Renowned cancer researcher, dedicated mentor and educator Kerry Burnstein, Ph.D., has been awarded the prestigious J. Enloe Dodson Chair in Cancer Research. During a recent chair presentation ceremony, Dr. Burnstein, an esteemed member of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and professor and chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, was celebrated for her contributions to science, education and leadership.
A member of the Miller School faculty since 1991, Dr. Burnstein reflected on the significance of the honor.
“I am deeply moved and, quite frankly, a little overwhelmed to accept the J. Enloe Dodson Chair in Cancer Research,” said Dr. Burnstein, who is also Sylvester’s associate director for education and training. “This endowed chair is not just an honor. It’s a profound responsibility and an opportunity to advance the pursuit of cancer cures.”
A Lethal Stage of Prostate Cancer
The funding provided through the chair will allow Dr. Burnstein to further her research focused on androgen receptor signaling and experimental therapeutics for a lethal and incurable stage of prostate cancer known as castration-resistant prostate cancer.
The Burnstein Lab has identified four distinct proteins that promote prostate cancer progression and is now working to develop compounds to block the proteins’ cancer-driving effects. With the help of Yangbo Feng, Ph.D., also from the Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology and associate director of medicinal chemistry, Dr. Burnstein developed a homegrown inhibitor that decreased prostate cancer growth in earlier, pre-clinical studies. She plans to use funds from the J. Enloe Dodson Chair to begin investigational drug-enabling experiments with this novel compound, with the plan to ultimately bring it to clinical trial.
“The J. Enloe Dodson Chair in Cancer Research is an incredible honor and reflects a steadfast belief in the potential, talents and accomplishments of Kerry Burnstein,” said Stephen Nimer, M.D., Sylvester director, the Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and executive dean for research at the Miller School. “As a discovery-focused scientist, she holds two U.S. patents and has one pending patent application related to novel treatments for prostate cancer. Outside of the lab, she prioritizes mentorship and education, having successfully mentored 18 Ph.D. graduate students and seven post-docs, most of whom are now pursuing careers in oncology research and education.”
Dr. Nimer also highlighted Dr. Burnstein’s leadership role in helping Sylvester achieve National Cancer Institute designation in 2019 and its renewal in 2024.
Importance of Endowed Chairs
Before joining Dr. Nimer in presenting the chair to Dr. Burnstein, Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School, emphasized the significance of the chair recognition.
“An endowed chair is one of the most important academic honors a faculty member can receive, and Dr. Burnstein is certainly deserving of this honor,” said Dean Ford. “She exemplifies all that the Miller School stands for. Her commitment to educating learners and pursuing scientific discoveries is simply unparalleled. The J. Enloe Dodson Chair in Cancer Research will allow Dr. Burnstein to continue her groundbreaking research in perpetuity, in the hope of discovering new treatments and cures to fight prostate cancer.”
Dr. Burnstein is the third recipient of the J. Enloe Dodson Chair in Cancer Research, established through the generosity and foresight of Eugenia Dodson. Widowed during her mid-40s, Dodson lived a modest life, amassing a significant fortune. She passed away shortly before her 101st birthday, bequeathing $35.6 million to Sylvester and the Diabetes Research Foundation, which supports the Diabetes Research Institute at the Miller School.
“Eugenia Dodson left an enduring legacy, and I am truly humbled to be a small part of it,” said Dr. Burnstein. “This chair allows us to try to find new ways to outsmart prostate cancer, and, crucially, to train the next generation of brilliant minds and ensure that her legacy continues to make a tangible benefit for the lives of patients.”
Dr. Burnstein was celebrated by family, friends, colleagues and Miller School faculty and staff during the endowed chair ceremony in the Jose Berrocal Auditorium at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
Tags: cancer research, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, prostate cancer, Sylverster Comprehensive Cancer Center