The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has announced the recipient of the ACCC 2020 Clinical Research Award: Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, Ensign Professor of Medicine, Professor of Pharmacology, Chief of Medical Oncology, and Associate Director for Translational Research at the Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital. ACCC’s Clinical Research Award recognizes individuals whose research has significantly and positively impacted patients with cancer, their families, caregivers, and communities.
Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD
Randall A Oyer, MD
“Dr. Herbst was selected for this award based on his distinguished and effective accomplishments in lung cancer research, having successfully integrated biology and laboratory research; team-based science; broad collaboration; and community, patient, public, and private partnerships that have served as a road map and role model for others,” said Randall A Oyer, MD, Medical Director, Oncology Program, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, and ACCC President.
A Pioneer of Targeted Treatments
Dr. Herbst has conducted work centered on the identification of biomarkers and bringing novel targeted treatments and immunotherapies to patients, and he has served as principal investigator for numerous clinical trials testing these agents in advanced-stage lung cancers. His work has led to the approval of several therapies that have greatly improved patient survival.
Dr. Herbst’s work on “umbrella” trials prompted approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of targeted therapies and new cancer drugs. Nationally, he works closely with public-private partnerships to develop large master protocol clinical studies, such as Lung-MAP. He recently authored a high-profile review of 20 years of progress in lung cancer.
“We’ve seen great research and treatment advances in lung cancer, including immunotherapy and targeted therapies that significantly delay disease recurrence, but there is more work to do,” said Dr. Herbst. “I am grateful to the Association of Community Cancer Centers for shining a light on the important fight against this deadly disease.”
