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713-298-8393 WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 21, 2026
Fort Bend / Southwest • Volume 51 • No. 3 • $1.00
Sugar Land Dulles HS Viking Theatre Company resident to bring ‘Les Miz’ to area advances cancer research while still and undergrad Community Reports
By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A University of Texas at Austin undergraduate from Sugar Land is helping reshape how countries around the world think about cancer survival. Milit Patel, a senior biochemistry major at the University of Texas at Austin and a graduate of Fort Bend ISD’s Stephen F. Austin High School, is the first-named author of a newly published study in peerreviewed cancer journal Annals of Oncology. The study analyzed cancer data from 185 countries. “Countries spending more didn’t always see better outcomes,” Patel told the Fort Bend Star in an interview. “We saw this in Turkey, Malaysia, and Thailand, where the model suggested that simply increasing budgets wasn’t enough. [The results] challenged the assumption that more money automatically translates into better cancer outcomes.” Using an explainable machine learning approach, Patel and his collaborators found that the drivers of cancer survival differ significantly by country. For example, radiotherapy infrastructure emerged as the most critical factor in Turkey, while universal health coverage played a larger role in countries such as Brazil and Thailand. “This country-specific precision enables policy makers to prioritize investments tailored to their unique bottlenecks rather than follow generic recommendations,” he said. The research team created an online tool, cancersystemsai.org, which allows users to explore country-specific profiles. For instance, Patel said, Ghana’s analysis suggests that expanding insurance coverage and service access could be a priority investment. “[It also] indicates that Ghana’s nursing and midwifery workforce is associated with small but meaningful improvements in outcomes,” Patel said. “Rather than trying to improve everything at once, they can target the two-three factors our model identifies as highestyield for their specific context.” In Thailand, the model points to strengthening cancer treatment access under its existing universal health coverage system rather than simply increasing overall spending. “We’re careful to note that these are associations, not proven causal relationships, so pilot interventions with rigorous evaluation are the next step,” Patel said. Despite the scope of the research, Patel is still an undergraduate — a rarity in top-tier cancer journals. “Most first authors in journals like Annals of Oncology are graduate students, postdocs, or faculty,”
SEE CANCER PAGE 4
Members of the Dulles High School Viking Theatre Company are studying the history of France in a unique way with a production of “Les Misérables School Edition”, an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon which is performed entirely by students. Viking Theatre Company will
present “Les Misérables School Edition” on January 23-24, and January 30-31, beginning at 7 p.m. each night, at Rodgers Auditorium at Dulles High School, 500 Dulles Ave., Sugar Land. “’Les Misérables School Edition” is a version of the classic musical by Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schöneberg, based on the novel by Victor Hugo. The
music is by Schöneberg, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. The show features original French text by Boubil and Jean-Marc Natel, with additional material by James Fenton. It is adapted by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, with original orchestrations by John Cameron, new orchestra-
SEE LES MIZ PAGE 2
Visit www.FortBendStar.com
The Dulles High School Viking Theatre Company will perform “Les Misérables School Edition,” adapted from the Broadway musical for high school students only, on Jan. 23-24, and Jan. 30-31 at the Rodgers Auditorium at Dulles High School. Contributed photo
FORT BEND MARKS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., DAY WITH CELEBRATIONS, VOLUNTEER EVENTS
Volunteers gather at the Thriftwise Resale Shop benefiting the Fort Bend Women’s Center on Monday to organize and sort clothes and miscellaneous items to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Photo by Tamara Garcia-Ramirez/Courtesy YMCA
By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Fort Bend county celebrated Martin Luther King Day weekend with a range of activities. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a pastor and seminal leader of the Civil Rights movement, was born on Jan. 15, 1929, and the federal holiday
is observed on the third Monday in January with parades, ceremonies and community gatherings nationwide. Annual MLK Day Celebration at Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center Families in Fort Bend celebrated King’s life and message at the Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center,
where children created peace flowers, dove garlands and “dream art.” “Through engaging story times and hands-on activities, children discovered Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring messages of peace, equality and love in ways they could truly understand,” said Mallory Jiles, Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center’s visitor experience manager.
“Watching young minds connect with his legacy through curiosity, creativity, and joy made the experience both powerful and deeply meaningful.” About 500 families attended the event, which marked 30 years of
SEE VOLUNTEER PAGE 5
National Blood Donor Month offers Super Bowl incentive By Juhi Varma CONTRIBUTING WRITER
January is National Blood Donor Month, a time to honor the lifesaving impact of blood donors and inspire more people to roll up their sleeves. “National Blood Donor Month is a reminder of how generous our community truly is,” said Theresa Pina, vice president of operations at Gulf
Coast Regional Blood Center. “Every donation makes a powerful difference for patients facing emergencies, surgeries, and serious illnesses, and that impact reaches far beyond one person. Our donors are everyday heroes, and we’re deeply grateful for the way they show up, give back, and help save lives in our community every day.” The American Red Cross is offer-
ing an added incentive for donors this month. Those who donate blood at an American Red Cross facility by January 25 will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Santa Clara, California, including Super Bowl tickets. The American Red Cross and NFL established this partnership seven years ago to encourage more donations during the winter, when blood sup-
ply dips due to seasonal illnesses and weather-related challenges. Details about the giveaway can be found at redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/ events/super_bowl.html. The winner and guest will also get access to day-of in-stadium pregame activities, round-trip airfare,
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