The Department of Internal Medicine is pleased to announce that Allison Weis, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine’s Department of Internal Medicine and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology, has been selected as the Ben B. and Iris M. Margolis Scholar Award recipient for the 2026 award period.

This honor recognizes outstanding new junior faculty whose scholarly achievements—and future potential—carry forward the legacy of the Margolis Foundation. Dr. Weis was nominated by John Fang, MD, in recognition of her innovative research exploring how gut microbiota influence colorectal cancer outcomes and responses to immunotherapy. Her work is advancing understanding of the microbiome–cancer interface and holds promise for improving treatment strategies for patients.

As part of the award, Dr. Weis will receive $40,500 to support the purchase and development of a cutting-edge anaerobic chamber and facility designed to culture hard-to-grow anaerobic gut bacteria. This investment will not only accelerate Dr. Weis’s research but will also establish a valuable new resource for the broader Department of Internal Medicine and research community.