- The two postdoctoral researchers, Emma Guilbaud, PhD, and Kelly Coutant, PhD, were recognized for outstanding research presented at the AACR Annual Meeting.
- The awards support early-career scientists by providing opportunities to present high-impact research, gain national recognition, and engage with the global cancer research community.
- The awards underscore Fox Chase’s strength in developing and supporting high-impact early-career scientists.
PHILADELPHIA (April 22, 2026) — Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers Emma Guilbaud, PhD, and Kelly Coutant, PhD, were recently honored with Scholar-in-Training Awards from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
The award recognizes outstanding young investigators presenting important research at the AACR Annual Meeting, which was held in San Diego April 17-22. The scholarships support recipients’ attendance and presentations at the meeting, providing valuable opportunities for early-career scientists to share their work and gain recognition within the cancer research community.
“I am honored to receive this award and to have the opportunity to share my work with colleagues in the field,” said Guilbaud, who received the AACR-Agilent Scholar-in-Training Award. “Recognition like this encourages early-career researchers to continue pursuing innovative approaches that may ultimately improve outcomes for patients.”
Guilbaud is a postdoctoral associate in the laboratory of Lorenzo Galluzzi, PhD, an Associate Professor in the Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Research Program at Fox Chase. She presented research focusing on how cancer cells respond to mitochondrial stress during radiation therapy and how these responses influence anti-tumor immune activity.
By studying the mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial signaling and cell death pathways, Guilbaud aims to identify strategies that enhance the effectiveness of radiation therapy and stimulate stronger immune responses against tumors.
Coutant, who received the AACR-Margaret Foti Foundation Scholar-in-Training Award, is a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Mitchell Fane, PhD, an Assistant Professor in the Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Research Program at Fox Chase. Her research examines how aging affects immune cell populations and how these changes influence the development and progression of melanoma. By better understanding how immune responses evolve over time, her work may help inform new immunotherapy strategies and improve treatment outcomes.
“Receiving this award is a meaningful recognition of the work our team is doing,” said Coutant. “Presenting at AACR allows us to exchange ideas with researchers from around the world, which brings us closer to our ultimate goal of accelerating progress toward new cancer therapies.”
Guilbaud and Coutant presented their studies at the AACR Annual Meeting, one of the largest international gatherings of cancer scientists, where investigators share the latest advances in cancer biology, prevention, and treatment.