November 22, 2019
Fleming to serve as Johnson Cancer Research Center director
The College of Arts and Sciences announces Sherry Fleming as the new director of the Johnson Cancer Research Center.
Fleming received her bachelor's and master's degrees in microbiology at Kansas State University and her doctorate in immunology from the University of Colorado Health Science. Her research career began as an undergraduate at K-State when she was awarded a Cancer Research Award from the Johnson Cancer Research Center.
After postdoctoral experience at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Uniformed Services University, she returned to her alma mater in 2004 as a tenure-track professor in biology and was promoted to professor in 2017. Fleming has an active research program in the innate immune response to hypoxia that brought in more than $4.8 million to the university from the National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense. As principal investigator on more than $3.2 million, Fleming also produced and patented a small therapeutic that decreases melanoma growth.
"We are super excited to have a person of Dr. Fleming’s caliber as our new cancer center director," said Amit Chakrabarti, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "Under her leadership, the Johnson Cancer Research Center's important research and outreach activities will continue to thrive. I am confident that Dr. Fleming will lead the center to a much higher level of distinction."
Currently, Fleming teaches Immunology, is the K-State campus coordinator for the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, or K-INBRE, and has been the director of LACS for the past 10 years.
Fleming will begin her position as director on Dec. 15.
Fleming plans for the Johnson Cancer Center to expand and thrive by increasing cancer-related basic scientific research, enhancing the infrastructure, supporting undergraduate and graduate training awards and increasing public awareness of the cancer center.