Stephenson Cancer Center Physician Receives Award from National Cancer Institute

Katherine Moxley, M.D., a gynecologic oncologist at the Stephenson Cancer Center at OU Health, is one of only 10 physician-scientists nationwide to receive a leadership award from the National Cancer Institute.

This highly competitive honor – the NCI Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award – recognizes Moxley’s efforts to improve the lives of people with cancer through leading NCI-funded clinical trials. The award acknowledges her leadership efforts at the Stephenson as well as with clinical trials collaborators throughout the United States.

The award comes with a monetary prize that she will use to develop a comprehensive precision medicine program at the Stephenson Cancer Center. The program will further the investigations of basic and translational scientists across OU and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, specifically studying areas of cancer treatment for which effective drugs are lacking.

“This award from the National Cancer Institute is an honor for Dr. Moxley and recognizes her deep commitment to her patients and research that will lead to new cancer treatments,” said Robert Mannel, M.D., director of the Stephenson Cancer Center. “As a NCI-designated cancer center, the Stephenson is a national leader in clinical trials enrollment, and our success is because of physicians like Dr. Moxley.”

As a gynecologic oncologist, Moxley treats patients who have been diagnosed with ovarian, cervical, uterine and other types of gynecologic cancers. Because the Stephenson Cancer Center is part of an academic medical center, physicians like Moxley also conduct cutting-edge research to discover new answers for their patients.

At the Stephenson Cancer Center, one in four patients chooses to participate in a clinical trial. By participating in NCI-sponsored trials, patients not only receive the latest treatment options available and the highest standard of care, but they are taking an active role in discovering cancer breakthroughs. Moxley serves on several national committees that are developing early- and late-phase clinical trials.

In addition, she plays a key role in a new research collaboration between the Stephenson Cancer Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center to facilitate improvements in early detection, drug resistance and predictors of treatment response in ovarian cancer. She also is part of a translational research project assessing the role of inflammatory cytokines in the development of endometrial cancer.

As an associate professor of gynecologic oncology, Moxley is a leader in training the next generation of physician-scientists, working with medical students and residents and mentoring post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and junior faculty.

“I am honored to receive this award from the NCI and to continue to work with the accomplished clinicians and scientists in Oklahoma and across the United States,” Moxley said. “I am humbled by the opportunity to continue exploring new treatments to better the lives of the brave women fighting gynecologic cancer.”