Andrew J. Lockhart Postdoctoral Fellowship in Focused Ultrasound and Immuno-Oncology Established

Published:

Key Points

  • The Fellowship will foster early-stage investigators in the field of focused ultrasound in immuno-oncology.
  • The Lockhart family generously established the program in honor of Andrew J. Lockhart.
  • The award will provide a one-year stipend of $75,000; interested parties are invited to apply now through May 31.
Andrew Lockhart

The Andrew J. Lockhart Postdoctoral Fellowship in Focused Ultrasound and Immuno-Oncology was established in January 2021 through the generosity of the Lockhart family, who are longtime supporters of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation.

Previously the family funded the Andrew J. Lockhart Memorial Prize, which recognized the work of five mid-career investigators between 2017 and 2020.

The new Lockhart Postdoctoral Fellowship will help the Foundation identify and cultivate the next generation of investigators who could advance the development and clinical adoption of focused ultrasound in immuno-oncology.

The new fellowship, designed for early-career researchers, honors Andrew J. Lockhart, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 39 from cholangiocarcinoma, a particularly virulent cancer affecting the biliary system of the liver and gallbladder. Andrew Lockhart’s parents, Terry and Gene, said, “This fellowship is intended to encourage a new generation of focused ultrasound clinicians and scientists from around the world. We believe it will take collaboration and revolutionary ideas to find effective immunotherapies for hard-to-treat cancers like the one that claimed our son Andrew.”

This one-year fellowship will pair focused ultrasound investigators with immunology laboratories and/or immuno-oncology investigators with focused ultrasound laboratories. The award will provide a one-year stipend of $75,000. 

“The Lockhart family has been very generous to the Foundation for years. We are extremely grateful for their vision and commitment to advancing the promise of focused ultrasound. The Lockhart Fellowship will help us identify and cultivate the best minds in the field, both in the US and abroad. Cancer immunotherapy is a strategic focus for the Foundation and this fellowship will help the Foundation achieve its goals in the field,” says Foundation Chairman Neal F. Kassell, MD.

Read about Caitlin Tydings, MD, the 2021 Andrew J. Lockhart Postdoctoral Fellow >

$5 Million Cancer Immunotherapy Campaign
Research on cancer immunotherapy, combined with focused ultrasound, is among the Focused Ultrasound Foundation’s top priorities. We are targeting at least $5 million within the Foundation’s ongoing $60 million, five-year campaign (2020-2024) to support cancer immunotherapy research, education, and advocacy. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor who believes in this promising research, every gift toward the Cancer Immunotherapy Campaign this year will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $2 million.

About Andrew J. Lockhart
Andrew was born on July 13, 1977, and spent his formative years in Boston, Massachusetts, London, England, and Greenwich, Connecticut. Andrew attended Greenwich Country Day School and graduated from Eton College in Windsor, England, and Choate-Rosemary Hall School in Wallingford, Connecticut. Andrew graduated from the University of Virginia (B.S. in Economics in 2004) and from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2010. Andrew and his wife, Ashley Parke Lockhart, were married in September 2010 and soon moved to New York, where Andrew became an Associate with Clifford Chance LLP, specializing in international transportation and development projects. Andrew finished his all-too-short law career as an Associate with Hunton & Williams LLP in their Richmond and London offices, permanently moving to London in 2015, where he specialized in international energy, infrastructure, and project development law.

Andrew’s keen intellect, warm and engaging demeanor, and compassionate outlook were bright lights to the people who knew him. Andrew deeply loved his wife and daughters. He spent time relaxing by reading, participating in all forms of country pursuits, and was particularly interested in studying the mysteries of the earth and horizons beyond. Music was an important part of Andrew’s life, as he was a member of the Eton College Chapel Choir and the University of Virginia Glee Club. He was an avid fan of all University of Virginia sports teams, cheering for them through all triumphs and losses.

Andrew died on September 30, 2016, after a hard-fought battle with a virulent cancer called cholangiocarcinoma, which is related to the biliary system of the liver and gallbladder.