Dr. Nikolaos Koundouros, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded a 2025 Tri-Institutional Breakout Award for Junior Investigators.
Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and The Rockefeller University present the awards to up to six exceptional investigators each year—at least one from each institution—who are recognized for their notable research achievements, impactful findings and high potential for success as independent investigators. Winners receive a $25,000 unrestricted prize.
“I certainly appreciate the honor and significance of this award and know how competitive it is,” said Dr. Koundouros, who is also a Charles H. Revson Fellow in the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer at Weill Cornell Medicine. “It will have a huge, positive impact on my career.”
Dr. Koundouros earned his doctorate at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, during which time he helped pioneer the use of a surgical tool called the iKnife that can detect cancer by analyzing tissue chemistry in real time. He also uses advanced tools and techniques to measure how cells break down sugars and fats. His work has fueled the creation of a potential cancer treatment that targets how cells detect nutrients.
Working in the lab of Dr. John Blenis, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Professor of Cancer Research in the Department of Pharmacology, Dr. Koundouros’ research delves into how cells detect and respond to dietary nutrients—specifically omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids—to determine how they influence the development of breast cancer.
“The main aspect of my post-doc work that I’m most proud of is our discovery of a specific mechanism that links dietary omega-6 fat intake with a distinct breast cancer subtype,” Dr. Koundouros said. “This has future implications for better understanding how nutrition-based interventions can be implemented in a more personalized way for cancer patients.”
He was the first author of a study published in Science in March that identified a clear biological link between linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid commonly found in seed oils, and the growth of triple-negative breast cancer, which is particularly difficult to treat. Along with Dr. Blenis and other colleagues, he found that linoleic acid drives tumor growth through a specific pathway involving the FABP5 protein and mTORC1 signaling, which are only active in triple-negative cancers. The findings could lead to more customized nutrition and treatment strategies, an aspect he noted has been largely missing from other research in the field.
“The biggest feature of our work is that it sheds light on how we can integrate nutrition and diet-based therapies into a cancer patient’s journey,” Dr. Koundouros said. “Our study adds a more personalized and patient-centric viewpoint.”
“I received a tremendous amount of support throughout this project, and I am especially thankful to Dr. John Blenis for his guidance and mentorship, along with all the lab members who helped get this research over the line,” he added. “I also want to acknowledge Dr. Eleni Andreopoulou and her team for their crucial input on the clinical implications of our findings.”
“Nikos’ passion, intuition and dedication to discovery science has led him to uncover how the essential fatty acid, linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, which is present at very high levels in seed oils and the western diet, promotes the growth on triple negative breast cancer (TNBC),” Dr. Blenis said. “Defining this mechanism led us to discover a novel biomarker, FABP5, as well as revealing insights into how we can therapeutically block this process in TNBC for which there are few targeted therapy options. Nikos is already investigating how omega-3 fatty acids, ‘the good fatty acids’ function, as well as the role of these lipids in aging-related metabolic diseases. His incredible talent and ability to assemble these biological puzzles will undoubtedly lead to many more important discoveries.”
In upcoming research, Dr. Koundouros plans to expand on efforts to understand how nutrition and diet affect chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and diseases associated with unhealthy aging. Optimally, he hopes his work will improve both quality of life and therapeutic outcomes for patients with cancer and other conditions.
Dr. Koundouros was honored with the other 2025 award winners, Dr. Veena Padmanaban of The Rockefeller University and Dr. Keunwoo Ryu of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, on June 2 at the Tri-Institutional Breakout Prize Symposium, hosted at Rockefeller.