July 18, 2025
Fred Hutch announces eight recipients of 2025 Dr. Eddie Méndez Scholar Award
National award honors exceptional postdoctoral researchers in the areas of cancer, infectious disease and basic science
SEATTLE — June 17, 2025 — Fred Hutch Cancer Center announced eight recipients of the 2025 Dr. Eddie Méndez Scholar Award. The award honors outstanding achievements of early-career scientists studying cancer, infectious diseases and basic sciences.
This year’s recipients represent a variety of research institutions across the United States. The awardees’ areas of expertise include HIV, therapeutic targeting for ovarian cancer, metabolic regulation of cancer and gene editing.
“We congratulate the outstanding winners of this year’s Méndez award,” said Christina Termini, PhD, MM, co-director of the program. Termini is an assistant professor in the Translational Sciences and Therapeutics and Human Biology Divisions at Fred Hutch and won a Méndez award in 2020.
“This year’s recipients are continuing to make strides in innovative research,” said Termini. “Like Dr. Méndez, their passion for science and discovery will continue to drive life-changing science.”
The award is named for Dr. Eddie Méndez, a physician-scientist at Fred Hutch. Méndez was an expert in head and neck cancers and a beloved colleague. He died of cancer in 2018.
Born in Puerto Rico, he completed his residency with the University of Washington and joined Fred Hutch in 2000. His work aimed to save as many lives and spare as many negative side effects as possible. His achievements include spearheading robotic surgery for head and neck tumors and being the first in Washington state to perform the surgery.
His award, created by Fred Hutch faculty a year after his death, has bolstered the careers of 62 total postdoctoral researchers.
“Through this award, Eddie’s legacy has developed an incredible community of researchers,” said Christopher Li, MD, PhD, who co-directs the award program with Termini. Li is the vice president and associate director of Faculty Development for the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium. He also holds the Helen G. Edson Endowed Chair for Breast Cancer Research at Fred Hutch.
“The program has connected alumni to roles in the academic research institutions, government agencies and the biomedical industry,” said Li. “Over six years, this award program has shown its strength in fostering opportunities for early-career researchers and continued to push scientific discovery forward.”
Fred Hutch will host this year’s recipients at the annual Méndez Symposium on July 17 in Seattle. Recipients will present their research and network with Fred Hutch faculty and senior leaders.
2025 Dr. Eddie Méndez Award Recipients:
Almudena Chaves Pérez, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Caitlin Cornell, PhD
UC Berkeley
Leandro Fernández-García, PhD
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Nicole Halmai, PhD
UC Davis
Elizabeth Kaweesa, PhD
University of Illinois Chicago
Megan E. Meuser, PhD
Yale University
Sarah Elisabeth Pierce, PhD
Broad Institute
Luis Cedeño-Rosario, PhD
University of Utah - Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine