Paul Sondel, MD, PhD
Pediatric oncologist Paul Sondel, MD, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, has been awarded a top prize in the field of cancer immunology. The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) announced that Dr. Sondel has received the group’s top award—the Richard V. Smalley, MD, Memorial Lectureship Award—for decades of work in developing immunotherapies for childhood cancers, especially neuroblastoma. As part of the award, Dr. Sondel will present the 2017 Richard V. Smalley, MD, Memorial Lecture at the SITC 32nd Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, in November.
Immunotherapy Research
Dr. Sondel’s research has emphasized the translation of laboratory innovations into clinical progress. His laboratory has pursued the biology of graft-vs-leukemia reactions, activation of antitumor immune destruction with interleukin-2, and the use of tumor-reactive monoclonal antibodies and immunocytokines to facilitate tumor killing by leukocytes. He has published more than 370 scientific articles and chapters, and many of these studies have moved into clinical testing.
Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD
“Dr. Sondel has been a tireless champion of investigating immunotherapy approaches to combat pediatric cancers. He has followed the science and been a leader in clinical trials, testing many promising therapies. His collaborative work helped lead to the ultimate U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of dinutuximab [Unituxin], which was a critical advance in this challenging childhood cancer,” stated SITC President, Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD.
Professional Experience
Dr. Sondel, the Reed and Carolee Walker Professor of Pediatric Oncology, earned his doctoral degree in genetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, while beginning his research in tumor immunology. Following pediatric residencies at the Universities of Minnesota and Wisconsin, he joined the Wisconsin faculty in the departments of pediatrics, human oncology, and genetics.
Dr. Sondel has led scientific policy through multiple national roles at the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, the Children’s Oncology Group, the National Cancer Institute, and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, where he chaired the Scientific Advisory Committee. ■
