Advancing Hope Through Innovation
Lung cancer claims more lives each year than breast and colon cancers combined, yet it receives disproportionately less research funding per cancer death than most other major cancers. At A Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Foundation, we know that accelerating lifesaving discoveries requires bold investment in strong science—and in the brilliant researchers whose ideas have the power to change how we treat lung cancer.
Today, we are proud to announce the newest recipient of the Peg Fisher-Jullie Fight for Life Research Award: Dr. B.J. (Byungji) Kim of The University of Texas at Austin.
This award is made possible through the extraordinary generosity of Peg Fisher-Jullie and her husband, Jerry, whose commitment to fueling lung cancer advancements has now supported groundbreaking research since 2021. Their gift honors Peg’s ongoing fight, her resilience, and her determination to make sure the next line of treatment is always within reach for patients like her.
About the 2025 Award Recipient: Dr. B.J. (Byungji) Kim
Dr. Kim is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery at The University of Texas at Austin, where she leads the Kimmunity Lab—an innovative research group at the intersection of RNA engineering, biomaterials, and cancer immunology.
Her work has already earned national recognition, including selection as a 2025 Arthur and Sandra Irving Scholar in Cancer Immunology, the 2023 Peter Karches Mentorship Prize, and scientific honors at premier biomaterials and nanomedicine conferences.
Dr. Kim’s Research: Reprogramming Immunity in Hard-to-Treat Lung Cancers
Patients with EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) often do not respond to today’s immune checkpoint inhibitors. These tumors tend to have low immunogenicity, meaning the immune system struggles to recognize and attack the cancer.
Dr. Kim’s research tackles this challenge head-on.
Building on breakthrough findings from infectious disease models, she discovered that type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling—triggered by lipid nanoparticle (LNP) RNA delivery—can actually suppress antigen translation and weaken immune priming. To overcome this barrier, she is developing a bifunctional ON/OFF RNA platform engineered to:
- Deliver a tumor antigen
- Simultaneously silence the interferon receptor (IFNAR1) to prevent premature immune suppression
This synchronized ON/OFF system ensures that immune regulation and antigen expression occur in the same cells, creating a more effective environment for T cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
With support from A Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Foundation, Dr. Kim will test this strategy in preclinical models of EGFR-mutant NSCLC—including mice engineered with the human EGFR-L858R mutation. Her goal: to expand CD8 T-cell recognition, reprogram innate immunity, and improve durable responses for patients who currently benefit least from immunotherapy.
This is exactly the type of translational science that can change standards of care and save lives.
About the Peg Fisher-Jullie Fight for Life Award
The research fueling this breakthrough is made possible because of Peg Fisher-Jullie’s courage, vision, and generosity.
Peg’s story began in 2017 when what appeared to be a lingering respiratory infection ultimately revealed stage 1B non-small cell lung cancer. Despite a lobectomy, her cancer later returned as stage 4 EGFR-positive lung cancer. Biomarker testing opened the door to targeted therapies, which has helped reduce her tumors and extend her quality of life.
Peg discovered A Breath of Hope in 2019 and quickly became an active supporter. After her stage 4 diagnosis, she and her husband, Jerry, decided they wanted to ensure that other patients—present and future—would have access to new treatments when they need them most.
Since 2021, the Peg Fisher-Jullie Fight for Life Award has supported some of the most promising researchers in the nation—each project pushing us closer to better outcomes and longer lives for people facing lung cancer.
Thank You to All Who Make This Possible
- Peg and Jerry, whose generosity continues to transform lung cancer research
- Our newest award recipient, Dr. B.J. Kim, for her visionary work
- Every researcher who submitted a proposal, demonstrating the incredible depth of talent working to defeat lung cancer
- A Breath of Hope Research Committee, whose careful evaluation ensures our funding fuels the most impactful science
Breakthroughs happen when brilliant minds have the resources they need. Your support makes that possible.
