Shreveport, La. – LSU Health Shreveport has reached a significant milestone in its research enterprise as Nilesh Pandey, PhD, became the first postdoctoral fellow in the institution’s history to receive a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00).
The highly competitive award, administered by the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, recognizes exceptional postdoctoral researchers with the potential to become independent scientific leaders. Pandey received a two-year, $217,296 K99 award to support his research project, “Novel Mechanisms for Lung Cancer Associated Thrombosis.”
While LSU Health Shreveport has recruited numerous faculty members who previously secured K99 or R00 funding, Pandey is the first trainee to earn the award while completing postdoctoral training at LSU Health Shreveport, a distinction that reflects not only his scientific achievements but also the institution’s growing culture of mentorship and research excellence.
What is a K99 Award?
The NIH Pathway to Independence Award, commonly known as the K99/R00 Award, is one of the nation's premier career development programs for early-career scientists. It is designed to help outstanding postdoctoral researchers transition into independent faculty careers.
A postdoctoral fellow, often called a postdoc, is a scientist who has completed a doctoral degree and is undergoing advanced research training under the guidance of experienced faculty mentors before launching an independent research career.
Pandey’s research focuses on a serious and often deadly complication of cancer known as cancer-associated thrombosis, the formation of dangerous blood clots in patients with cancer.
“Generally, lung cancer patients are at a much higher risk of developing dangerous blood clots, which increases both morbidity and mortality,” said Pandey. “My research focuses on how lung cancer changes immune cells, particularly neutrophils, and how those changes promote life-threatening blood clots.”
His work seeks to uncover the biological mechanisms linking lung cancer and thrombosis and identify new therapeutic targets that could prevent clotting complications without increasing the risk of dangerous bleeding.
Pandey joined LSU Health Shreveport as a postdoctoral fellow in November 2022 after earning his doctoral degree in India and pursuing additional academic work before coming to the United States.
The recognition carries special personal significance.
“When I heard the news, I was in disbelief,” he said. “It was an emotional moment personally because I lost my father a few months back. I just want to dedicate this award to him, my wife, my mother and my family.”
Throughout the process, Pandey emphasized the role of mentorship and institutional support in his success, specifically recognizing his primary mentor, Nirav Dhanesha, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and translational pathobiology; co-mentor Wayne Orr, PhD, vice chair and professor of pathology and translational pathobiology; and Oren Rom, PhD, RD, assistant vice chancellor for research.
“This award does not belong only to me,” he said. “It belongs to the collective effort of all the people around me.”
The external funding from Pandey’s K99 award contributes to the multi-million-dollar research enterprise at LSU Health Shreveport and supports a broader goal for the LSU Flagship, which includes LSU Health Shreveport, LSU Baton Rouge, LSU Health New Orleans,
Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the LSU AgCenter, to elevate LSU into the ranks of the nation’s Top 50 research institutions.