Transforming Cancer Research: Sylvester’s 2025 K12 Scholars
The newest cohort of Sylvester K12 physician-scientists is driving innovation from bench to bedside and has the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial course.
Three physician-scientists—Morgan Freret, M.D., Ph.D., Cindy Pabon, M.D., and Abhi Pandey, M.D., M.S.—have been named 2025 K12 Scholars at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
They join a growing group of Sylvester researchers leading cancer breakthroughs that translate discoveries into the clinic and tie breakthroughs to community needs.
Advances for Patient Outcomes
Since 2018, Sylvester has supported 19 junior faculty members through its prestigious K12 Calabresi Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Program. Funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), with additional support from Sylvester, the program identifies promising, early-career investigators and equips them to become independent leaders in translational oncology.
“The K12 program reflects our deep commitment to building a pipeline of physician-scientists who deliver cutting-edge science directly to patients via clinical trials,” said Alan Pollack, M.D., Ph.D., Sylvester researcher and professor of radiation oncology at the Miller School. “Thanks to the vision and support of Sylvester director Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., and our leadership team—K12 associate directors Jaime Merchan, M.D., and Erin Kobetz, Ph.D., M.P.H., and administrative director Vaughn Edelson, M.P.H., M.P.A.—we’re growing a dynamic community of translational researchers focused on improving patient outcomes.”
Starting Sept. 1, Drs. Freret, Pabon and Pandey will begin Sylvester’s intensive, two-year training program, which includes protected research time, mentorship, formal education and hands-on experience in developing hypothesis-driven clinical trials. The program is geared toward advancing innovative science and better serving Sylvester patients.
“This year’s cohort stood out for their passion, creativity and exceptional potential to impact their respective fields,” said Dr. Pollack, the K12 grant principal investigator.
2025 K12 Sylvester Scholar Dr. Morgan Freret
Dr. Freret leads the BRAVO-LM trial, a prospective study testing BRain-AVOidant craniospinal irradiation (CSI) for patients with leptomeningeal metastasis (LM). Her immediate goals are to successfully execute the BRAVO-LM trial and to use patient-derived samples and preclinical models to uncover mechanisms of radiation-induced cognitive decline and strategies to mitigate it.
Her long-term research interests span all facets of central nervous system metastasis, from how cancer cells adapt to the unique tumor microenvironments of the brain and surrounding cerebrospinal fluid to how cancer cells and therapies impact neurologic function.
By integrating bedside observations with mechanistic studies, she aims to identify actionable targets that advance both therapy and neuroprotection in patients with LM.
2025 K12 Sylvester Scholar Dr. Cindy Pabon
Dr. Pabon is working to improve outcomes for patients with esophageal and gastric cancers by advancing novel treatment strategies, identifying key biomarkers to guide prognostication and therapy selection and developing personalized treatment approaches.
Her research, “Neoadjuvant Salvage Chemo-Immunoradiation for Locally Advanced Esophageal and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma Non-Responders to FLOT,” aims to recognize early signs of treatment resistance in order to adjust care promptly and provide more effective alternatives.
She also hopes to reverse resistance when it occurs and expand tools for cancer prevention in high-risk patients through precision oncology and rapid-response care.
2025 K12 Sylvester Scholar Dr. Abhi Pandey
Dr. Pandey is researching how dietary interventions and behaviors influence multiple myeloma and its precursor conditions. His work targets the complex interplay between diet, metabolic health, systemic inflammation, gut microbiome composition and immune function—an emerging frontier in cancer research. His goal is to better help his patients answer dietary questions with data-driven and evidence-based research.
Using patient samples and clinical data from Sylvester’s FAST-M protocol, Dr. Pandey investigates how specific dietary strategies affect inflammatory markers, microbiome profiles, immune cell behavior and clinical outcomes.
His research aims to establish a scientific foundation for future dietary and lifestyle interventions, addressing critical questions such as how certain foods shape immune surveillance via gut microbiome interactions and how fasting-induced metabolic shifts may alter systemic inflammation.
Clinical Trial Design Course
Sylvester’s next major K12 event, the 2025 Design and Management of Cancer Clinical Trials Course (DMCTC), begins Sept. 5. Originally created for the K12 program and launched in 2019 with 79 participants, the course has grown into a global, six-week, fully virtual program, with nearly 1,300 participants from 38 countries in 2024.
The DMCTC is designed to provide cancer-focused clinicians, researchers, trainees and staff with key information to advance a program of clinical research, foster better clinical trial design and improve patient care. Participants will learn basic research concepts and principles that underlie the design and day-to-day conduct of cancer clinical trials.
Physicians, advanced practice providers and nurses can receive up to 18 hours of CME/CNE credit. University of Miami graduate students can enroll for master’s or Ph.D. credit.
In addition to foundational content on trial design and statistics, this year’s course includes four special sessions:
• AI and clinical trials
• Community engagement in clinical research
• Special topics for advanced practice providers, nurses and clinical research staff
• Dungeons and Drug Approvals: An immersive role-playing game designed to teach health care professionals the basics of clinical trials using an interactive space
“We’re emphasizing and engaging key personnel in the clinical research study team, from clinicians and researchers to nurses and clinical research coordinators, that will set the stage for cutting-edge, effective and inclusive cancer clinical trials,” said Dr. Pollack.
Through programs like the Sylvester K12 and the DMCTC, which provide leading-edge clinical research education, Sylvester is shaping the next generation of translational cancer research leaders, one scholar at a time.
Tags: Dr. Abhi Pandey, Dr. Alan Pollack, Dr. Cindy Medina Pabon, Dr. Morgan Freret, Dr. Stephen Nimer, Paul Calabresi Career Development Award for Clinical Oncology K12, Sylverster Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sylvester K12 Calabresi Symposium