On Aug. 20, 2025, The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) announced the approval of 15 new grants totaling more than $27 million, reinforcing Texas’ position as a national leader in cancer research and innovation. These investments support faculty recruitment, research infrastructure, and high-impact scientific projects at institutions across the state.

The Oversight Committee approved seven grants totaling $18 million to recruit world-renowned cancer investigators to Texas research institutions. With these awards, the CPRIT Scholar program has now supported the recruitment of 340 top-tier researchers to Texas, more than any other state-supported initiative in the nation. 

Among key recruitment grants is an award to The University of Texas at Austin to bring Dima Kozakov, Ph.D., from Stony Brook University in New York. A globally recognized computational biologist, Dr. Kozakov uses artificial intelligence and deep learning to model molecular interactions and predict therapeutic effects. His work focuses on developing next-generation AI tools to design new cancer therapies targeting complex macromolecular interactions. 

CPRIT awarded an additional $6 million to enhance specialized core facilities—centralized resources that offer shared access to advanced technology, equipment, and scientific expertise. 

Created by the Texas Legislature and approved by a statewide vote in 2007, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) leads the Lone Star State’s fight against cancer. In 2019, Texas voters again voted overwhelmingly to support CPRIT with an additional $3 billion, for a total of $6 billion investment in cancer research and prevention.