Katharine Hsu, M.D., Ph.D., a 1994 graduate of the Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, is the recipient of the 2019 WCGS Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Dr. Hsu received her Ph.D. in 1993 from WCGS for her work in Cell Biology in the laboratory of Dr. Moses Chao. She later received her M.D. in 1994 from Weill Cornell Medical College and went on to complete her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital from 1994 to 1997. She then joined Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and completed her fellowship in Hematology and Oncology from 1997 to 2000, where she pursued her post-doctoral training in Dr. Bo Dupont’s laboratory.
From Barabara Hempstead, MD, PhD, Dean of the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, on Dr. Hsu's award:
Dr. Hsu is a Professor of Medicine, Member, and Attending Physician at MSKCC, and was nominated by Dr. Joseph Sun of MSKCC. She is a pre-eminent physician-scientist who has defined the roles of natural killer (NK) cells and the immune receptors on their cell surface that regulate how NK cells recognize and kill cancer and virally infected cells. The major focus of her research is to determine how to use cutting-edge information about NK cells, their genetics and biology, to improve outcomes in the treatment of malignancies, particularly those treated with stem cell transplantation. Specifically, her laboratory focuses on the interactions between the polymorphic killer Ig-like receptors (KIR) and their HLA ligands and the molecular events that contribute to NK education. Dr. Hsu’s group has published numerous high-impact papers in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Journal of Clinical Investigation, many of which have identified novel biological functions of NK cells that directly impact cancer treatment. Dr. Hsu’s significant leadership in transplant genetics and immunology is evidenced by her induction into and membership in the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) in 2012 and receipt of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Scholar Award in 2016. In addition to her contributions to basic and translational research, Dr. Hsu is a practicing medical hematologist and oncologist, who cares for patients with bone marrow disorders, leukemias, and lymphomas.
Dr. Hsu has been a strong mentor in her laboratory, exemplifying what a physician-scientist ought to be. She is an outstanding representation of our graduates’ success.