Monte Winslow, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘06-‘09), Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow ‘95-‘98, former Fellowship Sponsor), Tyler Jacks, PhD (Former Fellowship Award Committee Member and Fellowship Sponsor) and colleagues at MIT, Cambridge, identified the important role of a gene called NKX2-1 in metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma. In animal studies, the researchers linked reduced activity of the gene to enhanced tumor seeding activity and metastasis. They also found that reduced gene function is associated with higher death rates for lung-cancer patients. The study was published in the prestigious journal Nature.