Liela Romero, Ph.D., joins faculty and establishes research lab in Chemistry & Biochemistry
By Derek Smith, Baylor University Marketing & Communications
WACO, Texas (July 9, 2020) – , a highly regarded rising cancer researcher and 2011 Baylor University alumnus, has joined the Baylor faculty with the support of a $2 million grant from the (CPRIT). The highly coveted grant, aimed at recruiting top cancer researchers to establish their careers in Texas, enables her appointment as assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry and provides funds for the establishment of .
“As a fellow Baylor alum, I understand Dr. Romero’s desire to come to Baylor and build a career at the same place where her passion for science began,” Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., said. “She pursued a world-class education and will return to Baylor with what we need to advance Baylor as a Tier 1/R1 university. Baylor is now in a great position to enable Dr. Romero to pursue her research at the highest level, and she will have great colleagues who align well with her interest in biologically inspired synthesis of anti-cancer agents.”
CPRIT was formed in 2007 after Texans voted to authorize $3 billion earmarked for cancer research, providing the state with greater capacity and a competitive edge in recruiting top cancer researchers and faculty to Texas. Romero’s grant is awarded through CPRIT’s First-Time, Tenure-Track Faculty Members Program, and is given to “emerging investigators pursuing their first faculty appointment who are expected to make outstanding contributions in cancer research.”
Romero, B.S. ’11, is an organic chemist whose research focuses on developing selective synthetic strategies with applications in the development of novel anti-cancer therapeutics. She returns to Baylor after serving as a Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Prior to her tenure at MIT, she earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
“As I searched for where I wanted to begin my research career, Baylor has always stood out to me as a great research environment to return to,,” Romero said. “My time on campus was very formative. As a student, I was inspired by professors and chemists throughout the department. I’ve learned the importance of having a group of colleagues who inspire and support you in pursuit of high-level work, and Baylor University has the right combination of wonderful faculty and outstanding facilities that are truly enabling for great research.”
Excelling as an undergraduate
As an undergraduate, Romero worked in the laboratory of , professor of chemistry and biochemistry and another noted cancer researcher. There, she was introduced to the discipline of chemical synthesis — the assembly of new or valuable molecules — and its application to limiting metastasis, the development of secondary malignant growths after the initial growth of a malignant tumor, and she built on that experience in subsequent academic roles.
“Liela excelled in the laboratory, and I remember her as very professional, independent and organized. For our department and for me personally, her appointment brings things full-circle,” Pinney said. “She left here with a great deal of admiration and respect, and she brings back to our department great research expertise and a passion for teaching. The fact that she received a CPRIT grant speaks to the quality of work she has done at every level of her academic career. She is someone who was clearly going to have many opportunities, and it’s a blessing to now call her a colleague at Baylor.”
Research within Romero’s Baylor lab will focus on the development of “highly selective chemical reactions with the goal of advancing chemical synthesis and drug discovery,” with a specific focus on liver cancer.
“A large portion of new therapeutic drug leads have historically come from natural products —compounds made by nature that we isolate — or are derived from some form of natural products,” Romero said. “In my work, I’m interested in exploring a series of small natural products that have demonstrated very distinctive and selective anticancer activity. Our goal is to develop new chemical strategies that enable us to make these compounds, which have traditionally been difficult for synthetic chemists to access. Moreover, we want to understand where this anticancer activity is derived from in order to further improve the efficacy and therapeutic potential of these small molecules.”
Reaching research aspirations
The significance of Romero’s CPRIT grant extends beyond the establishment of her career and research at Baylor. External funding grants accelerate Baylor University’s pursuit of R1 research status. In 2018, Baylor announced the adoption of , a strategic plan that serves as a roadmap towards research preeminence through the purposeful pursuit of research “marked by quality, visibility and impact.” External funding enhances the research output and reputation of a university, and is one of many key metrics for institutions designated as R1 research universities.
“CPRIT’s decision to fund Dr. Romero’s proposal confirms that her background, experience and ideas for future work are top tier relative to the larger community of young scientists,” said Kevin Chambliss, Ph.D., vice provost for research. “It also signals that Baylor is being successful in the recruitment of top talent into tenure-track faculty positions. The significant level of external funding will contribute directly to Baylor’s R1 aspirations, and Dr. Romero’s expertise will add to a growing cadre of Baylor faculty anchoring the in Illuminate.”
Beyond the laboratory, Romero enjoys numerous meaningful connections throughout the University. She met her husband, Derich, at Baylor’s St. Peter Catholic Student Center, and enjoyed a variety of Baylor traditions from the nation’s oldest ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾coming to Christmas on 5th Street. As she returns, she says her alma mater is both new and familiar at the same time.
“Although many new faculty have joined Baylor since I completed my undergraduate studies, it retains that cohesive and collegial feel,” Romero said. “The University is bigger and continually growing as it promotes greater research initiatives. But from the moment I stepped foot back on campus, it still feels like Baylor, and I’m excited to experience that as a professor.”
