Dr. Chinmay Jani, an early-career faculty member and scientist at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Jackson Memorial Hospital, has won the $50,000 Binaytara Lung Cancer Research Award New York 2026.
Jani secured the grant following the live Impact Pitch competition at the 2026 Brooklyn Lung Cancer Conference, held Aug. 7–8. The event was organized by Binaytara, a non-profit organization focused on expanding access to cancer care through research, education, and advocacy.
Selected as one of five finalists, Jani presented his research proposal before an audience and four expert mentors, termed “Catalysts.” The panel evaluated presenters across five criteria: scientific merit, feasibility, potential clinical impact, presentation clarity, and performance during a question-and-answer session.
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“This award reflects a truly collective effort: the clinical trial was initially conceived with guidance from my mentors, developed through the Sylvester Clinical Trial Workshop, and subsequently advanced through the SITC Clinical Trial Workshop,” said Jani.
“Binaytara’s support will now help us move this collaborative vision closer to clinical implementation as I transition to a faculty role in Thoracic Oncology and Experimental Therapeutics at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center – University of Miami.”
“Dr. Jani is launching a clinical trial aiming to leverage host-microbiome interaction for lung cancer therapy,” noted his translational mentor, Dr. Dennis C. Watson, Assistant Professor, Medical Oncology; and Translational Research Lead, Thoracic Site Disease Group at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.”
“Working with our DiscoverTME laboratory at University of Miami, he will use this funding for advanced translational assays with the potential to inform development of a new standard of care.”
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The Binaytara Research Awards aim to provide emerging investigators with funding, national and international visibility, and direct mentorship from leaders in thoracic oncology.
Tracing his Indian roots, Jani completed his foundational medical education in India, earning his medical degree from Smt. NHL Municipal Medical College in Ahmedabad.
After moving to the United States to pursue post-graduate medical training, Jani completed his internal medicine residency and served as chief resident at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.
He subsequently transitioned to the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and Jackson Memorial Hospital, where his academic and clinical focus includes thoracic oncology research.