image: Christopher Flowers, M.D.
Credit: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
CHICAGO, MAY 27, 2025 ― Christopher Flowers, M.D., division head of Cancer Medicine and chair of Lymphoma/Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, will be honored with the Jamie Von Roenn Excellence in Teaching and Mentorship Award at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in recognition of his leadership and commitment to mentoring young oncology professionals.
The ASCO Special Awards are the organization’s highest honors and highlight global oncology leaders, researchers, patient advocates, philanthropists and teachers for their roles reshaping cancer care around the world.
“We congratulate Dr. Flowers on this remarkable achievement, and we are grateful for his impactful work mentoring the next generation of cancer researchers,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “Chris’ leadership and contributions toward developing the careers of young oncologists are invaluable to advancing our mission to end cancer, now and in the future.”
Internationally recognized as a leader in lymphoma clinical research and population science, Flowers has advanced the development of multiple new treatments and helped to characterize disparities in outcomes among patients with lymphoma. Beyond his notable achievements as a clinician-scientist, he has been recognized as a leader committed to supporting the professional development of future generations of cancer investigators. Through involvement with professional societies and organizations including ASCO, American Society of Hematology (ASH), American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF), and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Flowers has dedicated over 20 years to supporting and advancing comprehensive oncology mentorship, career development and advocacy programs.
Flowers has mentored young oncologists and researchers both internally at MD Anderson and through his work in outside organizations. Notably, he co-developed important recruitment and workforce initiatives for ASCO and ASH. As evidence of Flowers’ commitment to mentorship, 15 of his mentees now are thriving as oncology faculty at U.S. academic medical centers. Under his leadership, MD Anderson has continued to garner recognition as an institution leading ASCO Young Investigator Awards, with 10 honorees from MD Anderson’s Division of Cancer Medicine in 2025.
Flowers has considerable experience mentoring and advising young oncologists in career development, including leading a National Cancer Institute K24 grant for mentored patient-oriented research in lymphoma, serving as co-chair for the LRF Scientific Research Mentorship Program, and in a mentoring role in the ASH Clinical Research Training Institute.
The Jamie Von Roenn Excellence in Teaching and Mentorship Award is the most recent in a series of acknowledgements for mentorship. Flowers previously received the 2016 Inaugural Emory School of Medicine Mentoring Award for his work supporting the careers of high school, undergraduate and medical students. He received the 2021 LRF Leadership Award, recognizing his mentorship of early career lymphoma investigators. Flowers also received the 2022 ASH Mentor Award for providing mentorship to trainees and junior faculty through the Clinical Research Training Institute and multiple ASH award programs. Finally, he received the 2025 AACR Jane Cooke Wright Award for his impact on the next generation of cancer investigators.
“We applaud Dr. Flowers for this tremendous honor, which recognizes his deep commitment to training and his continued leadership in the hematology and oncology communities,” said Giulio Draetta, M.D., Ph.D., chief scientific officer at MD Anderson. “His scientific excellence and dedication to mentorship are invaluable strengths for us as an institution, bolstering our efforts to advance transformational cancer research.”
Most notable among his contributions is directing clinical research that resulted in refined treatment strategies for lymphomas. Marking a major milestone in the field of lymphoma research, Flowers co-led the first comprehensive assessment of incidence and outcomes by World Health Organization lymphoma subtypes. This work also includes guiding the development cohort studies that have enhanced the understanding of risk models, outcomes and survivorship for understudied populations of patients. These findings informed Flowers’ emphasis on the importance of personalized treatment approaches based on genetic and molecular profiling of tumors.
Flowers’ work has resulted in over 300 peer-reviewed publications. His work has also earned peer-reviewed funding awards from numerous foundations as well as The University of Texas System Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention program, and the National Institutes of Health, including leading two U01 awards and two multi-institutional team science grants.
More information on all MD Anderson ASCO Annual Meeting content can be found at MDAnderson.org/ASCO.