Shaji Kumar Hematology Research Award

Melanie Castro Mollo, MD, is one of the 2026 recipients of the Shaji Kumar Hematology Research Award. Dr. Castro Mollo, a Medical Oncologist at the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas in Peru, received the faculty grant of $50,000 for her project "Venetoclax plus low-intensity chemotherapy for adults with Ph negative ALL adapted for a middle-income country." The award was conferred at Binaytara's National Summit on Hematologic Cancers.

In Peru, about 30% of adults over 40 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia die within two months of starting treatment, not because the chemotherapy fails but because it is so harsh. Dr. Castro Mollo will test a gentler approach that pairs lower-dose chemotherapy with venetoclax, an affordable pill already available locally, so most treatment can happen at home. The goal is to cut early deaths to 10%, and success could offer a model for other countries where costly immunotherapies remain out of reach.

"Starting my career as a junior faculty member at INEN with this funding is an extraordinary opportunity to bring what I learned at Dana-Farber back home to our patients with leukemia," said Dr. Castro Mollo. "This trial will give our patients access to a new treatment directly at our institution, and because we are the national cancer center, it can serve as a model for other hospitals in Peru."

Learn more about Binaytara's Impact Pitch and other funding opportunities.