Honoring Scientific Achievement

At the fall AACR conferences, two AACR leaders were recognized for their critical contributions to cancer research:

Honoring a Cancer Disparities Research Pioneer

Each year, a highlight of the AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities is the presentation of the AACR Distinguished Lectureship on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities. This special award recognizes an investigator whose novel and significant work has had or may have a far-reaching impact on the etiology, detection, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer health disparities.

At the 18th edition of the conference, held September 18-21 in Baltimore, Maryland, the lecture was presented to John M. Carethers, MD, FAACR. A Fellow of the AACR Academy and a current member of the AACR Board of Directors, Carethers was honored for his seminal contributions to the understanding and reduction of cancer disparities in colorectal cancer patients, resulting in improved clinical outcomes. He delivered his award lecture, titled “Resurgence of noninvasive colorectal cancer screening for mitigating disparities,” during the opening session of the conference on September 18.

Recognizing a Lifetime of Achievements in Pancreatic Cancer Research

In February, the Stephenson Global Pancreatic Cancer Research Institute (SGPCRI) announced the launch of one of the largest privately-funded awards in the field of pancreatic cancer research. The Stephenson Global Prize is a $1 million prize that recognizes an individual for a lifetime of achievements that have significantly advanced pancreatic cancer research. In order to maximize the visibility of this groundbreaking new prize, SGPCRI partnered with the AACR to present the prize during the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Pancreatic Cancer Research, which took place in Boston from September 28-October 1.

The inaugural prize was presented to AACR Past President and Fellow of the AACR Academy Frank McCormick, PhD, FAACR. McCormick was recognized for uncovering how mutations in the KRAS gene, present in more than 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas, are capable of disrupting the body’s natural ability to regulate cell growth. This research has proven essential to subsequent efforts to develop novel therapies that target KRAS. McCormick delivered his prize lecture at the conference on September 30.