The University of Oklahoma College of Engineering is proud to recognize James Francisco, a PhD student in the laboratory of Dr. Vivek Bajpai, for receiving the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center Trainee Research Award for Spring 2026.
James was selected for his proposed project, “Investigating the Enhancer Landscape in Human Melanoma Initiation,” which was highly rated by the review committee for its scientific merit, innovation, and potential impact on cancer research and trainee career development. This award is highly competitive across all three University of Oklahoma campuses and is open to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, resident fellows, and junior non‑tenure‑track faculty. The award provides financial support to enable advanced cancer biology research training to James in the Bajpai’s laboratory.
The project is conducted under the mentorship of Vivek Bajpai, Assistant Professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering (SCBME), whose research focuses on genome engineering and CRISPR‑based technologies for human health applications.
“James has demonstrated remarkable intellectual curiosity, independence, and rigor in tackling fundamental questions about melanoma initiation using diverse approaches,” said Dr. Bajpai. “This project combines cutting‑edge enhancer mapping techniques with multi‑omics data integration and has strong translational relevance. The Stephenson Cancer Center award will accelerate both the science and James’s development as an independent researcher.”
This recognition underscores the College of Engineering’s commitment to high impact trainee mentorship, interdisciplinary research, and the preparation of the next generation of scientific leaders through close faculty and student collaboration.
