Philanthropy instills a desire to pay it forward in the biomedical sciences

Not only is Suman Shrestha, PhD ’22, grateful for the Marilyn and Frederick R. Lummis, Jr., MD, Fellowship that helped make his education possible, he plans to one day ensure others have access to medical physics training, even in far-reaching locations.

His doctoral research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences focused on reducing the risk of heart disease in childhood cancer survivors, work he continues now as a postdoctoral fellow at MD Anderson.

While pursuing his doctorate, Suman volunteered and chaired multiple working groups in national and international organizations to enhance and broaden educational and research opportunities among students and next-generation scientists. His goal is to establish clinical and educational facilities in Nepal to provide students in the region with collaborative health education and research training so they can pursue their dreams as he has.

“We are influenced by the people we spend most of our time with,” Suman says. “Here at UTHealth Houston and MD Anderson Cancer Center, I am surrounded by many compassionate and successful people. My mentors, peers, and staff push me to become a better scientist and better human every day. Deciding to pursue my PhD at UTHealth Houston was one of the best decisions of my life.”

With longstanding support from Marilyn Lummis, the Lummis Fellowship has helped 15 scientists like Suman since 2007, empowering them to discover health solutions and educate the next generation.