ASCO and ASCO’s Conquer Cancer Foundation are proud to recognize the winners of ASCO’s Special Awards and Conquer Cancer’s Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Awards and Tribute Award. The recipients of these awards have worked to transform cancer care around the world.
Don’t miss the opportunity to hear many of these honored luminaries speak at the 2019 ASCO Annual Meeting. Find the most up-to-date program information about the award presentations and lectures at am.asco.org and in the iPlanner.
David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award and Lecture
Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, MD, MACP, FASCO
Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, MD, MACP, FASCO, is a Professor in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His career, which spans more than 40 years, has focused on clinical and translational research, as well as teaching and mentoring the next generation of scientists and academic leadership. He is a Past President of ASCO.
Science of Oncology Award and Lecture
Joan S. Brugge, PhD
Joan S. Brugge, PhD, is the Louise Foote Pfeiffer Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School and Co-Director of the Ludwig Center at Harvard. She has made significant contributions to the understanding of tumorigenesis, initially through the first identification of the viral Src oncogene and cellular processes that were regulated by its cellular homolog, and subsequently through critical investigations into the cellular processes and pathways that are involved in the normal development of breast cells, as well as breast cancer initiation and progression. Her recent research has focused on cellular responses that lead to treatment resistance and strategies to overcome resistance.
Gianni Bonadonna Breast Cancer Award and Lecture
Norman Wolmark, MD, FACS
Norman Wolmark, MD, FACS, is Medical Director of Surgery and Cancer Program Development at Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Department of Surgery and Cancer Institute. He is Chair of NSABP Foundation—a not-for-profit academic research organization led by AHN clinicians—and Chair and Principal Investigator of the National Cancer Institute–funded organization NRG Oncology. Dr. Wolmark’s nearly 45-year tenure as a cancer researcher has been devoted to the evolution of large randomized clinical trials for the treatment and prevention of breast and bowel cancers.
ASCO–American Cancer Society Award and Lecture
Judy E. Garber, MD, MPH, FASCO
Judy E. Garber, MD, MPH, FASCO, is the Susan F. Smith Chair and Chief of the Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She conducts research in clinical cancer genetics, with a focus on breast cancer genetics, and has played a major role in the development of national guidelines on the subject. Dr. Garber is a leader in research on triple-negative and basal-like breast cancers, as well as an expert on Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Her translational research focuses on the evaluation of novel agents targeting DNA repair defects in breast cancer.
Allen S. Lichter Visionary Leader Award and Lecture
Ian F. Tannock, MD, PhD, FASCO
Ian F. Tannock, MD, PhD, FASCO, is Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Medical Biophysics at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the University of Toronto, Canada. His clinical expertise is in genitourinary and breast cancers. His research investigated methods related to cancer clinical trials, and he chaired trials for men with metastatic prostate cancer that led to licensing of drugs that are now used worldwide in the treatment of this disease. He is a past member of the ASCO Board of Directors.
Pediatric Oncology Award and Lecture
James R. Downing, MD
James R. Downing, MD, is President and Chief Executive Officer of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His work is focused on understanding the genetic basis of cancer in order to improve the treatment of children with cancer. He was instrumental in launching the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, which has sequenced the normal and cancer genomes of more than 800 young patients with some of the least understood and most aggressive tumors.
B.J. Kennedy Award and Lecture for Scientific Excellence in Geriatric Oncology
Elisabeth Quoix, MD
Elisabeth Quoix, MD, is Professor of Pneumonology in the Department of Chest Diseases of the University Hospital of Strasbourg, France. Her clinical work focuses on the diagnosis and management of lung cancer. She is currently involved as an investigator or coordinator in several trials investigating treatment strategies in lung cancer with a special focus on elderly patients, as well as in early-phase trials of novel agents for lung cancer. She is also involved in epidemiologic studies of the implementation of state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment techniques among the general population of patients with lung cancer.
Ellen L. Stovall Award and Lecture for Advancement of Cancer Survivorship Care
Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH, FASCO
Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH, FASCO, is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Vice Chair of Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where she also serves as Director of the Adult Survivorship Program and leads the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer. She established and serves as Principal Investigator for the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study. Dr. Partridge and her team have characterized a range of issues specific to young breast cancer survivors, including the impact of treatment on fertility, hormonal therapy adherence, psychological adaptation to the diagnosis (including impact of treatment on sexual functioning), and the factors that play an important role in patient decision-making. More recently, she has collaborated to develop and study interventions to improve outcomes in young adult cancer survivors and worked with basic investigators to identify molecular differences in tumors found in young patients and potential biomarkers of long-term disease effects.
Distinguished Achievement Award
Robert J. Mayer, MD, FASCO
Robert J. Mayer, MD, FASCO, is Faculty Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Senior Physician at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and the Stephen B. Kay Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where he is also Faculty Associate Dean for Admissions. He directed the institute’s Medical Oncology Fellowship Program for 36 years, overseeing the training of several hundred oncologists. Dr. Mayer established the Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He is a Past President of ASCO and a current member of the Conquer Cancer Board of Directors.
Excellence in Teaching Award
Natasha B. Leighl, MD, MMSc, FRCPC, FASCO
Natasha B. Leighl, MD, MMSc, FRCPC, FASCO, is a medical oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She leads the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Thoracic Medical Oncology Group and holds the combined hospital/university OSI Pharmaceuticals Foundation Chair in Cancer New Drug Development. She has mentored many oncology trainees who have gone on to leadership roles in oncology around the world. Dr. Leighl’s main interests are in developing new treatments in lung cancer and outcomes research, including pharmacoeconomics; she has led several international and cooperative group studies in lung cancer.
Partners in Progress Award
Connie M. Szczepanek, RN, BSN, CCRP
Connie M. Szczepanek, RN, BSN, CCRP, is Director of the Cancer Research Consortium of West Michigan (CRCWM). After losing her sister to breast cancer, Ms. Szczepanek became involved in cancer prevention research, including the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial and STAR trial. She also became active in community, state, and national initiatives to facilitate cancer awareness and clinical trials education, promote cancer screening, and link patients to health services. At CRCWM, she directs the group’s National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program grant and works to reduce barriers to clinical trials.
Humanitarian Award
Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, FACP, FASCO
Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, FACP, FASCO, is Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, where he is also Deputy Director for Clinical Services at the Abramson Cancer Center and Director of the Center for Global Cancer Medicine. A specialist in the treatment of patients with breast cancer, his research includes development of new cancer therapies and implementation of cancer treatment programs in low-resource settings. Dr. Shulman serves as senior oncology advisor to the nonprofit organization Partners in Health, where he plays a leadership role in the establishment of national cancer treatment programs with the Ministries of Health in Rwanda and Haiti. He sits on the Vice Chancellor’s Advisory Council for Rwanda’s University for Global Health Equity. He is involved in the development of the national oncology program in Botswana through the Botswana-UPenn Partnership.
Hologic, Inc Endowed Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award
Lynn M. Schuchter, MD, FASCO
Lynn M. Schuchter, MD, FASCO, is the C. Willard Robinson Professor of Hematology-Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as Chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology and Program Leader for the Melanoma and Cutaneous Malignancies Program at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Schuchter’s clinical research focuses on melanoma, with a particular interest in novel therapies for advanced disease. Dr. Schuchter has a strong commitment to and passion for mentorship, especially focusing on fostering talent in women.
International Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award
Verna Vanderpuye, MBChB
Verna Vanderpuye, MBChB, is a senior consultant at the National Center for Radiotherapy, Oncology and Nuclear Medicine at Korlebu Teaching Hospital, Ghana, affiliated with the University of Ghana, Accra. Her interests are in breast, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal cancers; sarcoma; and cancer management in Africa. She is the pioneer female oncologist in the West African region and has mentored many regional and international young cancer clinicians. Her holistic, whole-patient philosophy has resulted in improved quality of life—even in the face of limited resources—while at the same time prompting research opportunities and developing cost-effective, pragmatic approaches to the implementation of new avenues of treatment.
Women Who Conquer Cancer Tribute Award
Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO
The oncology community lost a dedicated researcher and mentor when Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO, died on November 7, 2018. A faculty member at City of Hope, Dr. Hurria was the George Tsai Family Chair in Geriatric Oncology; Director of the Center on Cancer and Aging; co-lead of the Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program; Vice Provost of Clinical Faculty; Professor in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research; and a medical oncologist at the institution. She was a member of the ASCO Board of Directors and a donor and volunteer with ASCO’s Conquer Cancer Foundation. In recognition of Dr. Hurria’s legacy of mentorship, her indelible contributions to the field of geriatric oncology, and her passion for supporting women in cancer research, Conquer Cancer will honor her with a special Women Who Conquer Cancer Tribute Award this year.
Fellows of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO)
The Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO) distinction recognizes ASCO members for their extraordinary volunteer service, dedication, and commitment to ASCO. The following members are being recognized in 2019:
- Adam P. Dicker, MD, PhD, FASCO
- Arif Kamal, MD, MBA, MHS, FAAHPM, FASCO
- Cathy Eng, MD, FACP, FASCO
- David Cella, PhD, FASCO
- Debra A. Patt, MD, MPH, MBA, FASCO
- Donald L. Trump, MD, FASCO
- Edward S. Kim, MD, FASCO
- Gilberto Lopes, MD, MBA, FASCO
- Heather A. Wakelee, MD, FASCO
- Joanne E. Mortimer, MD, FASCO
- Lisa A. Carey, MD, FASCO
- Matt D. Galsky, MD, FASCO
- Melissa S. Dillmon, MD, FASCO
- Monika K. Krzyzanowska, MD, MPH, FRCPC, FASCO
- Norah Lynn Henry, MD, PhD, FASCO
- Ray D. Page, DO, PhD, FACOI, FASCO
- Robert G. Maki, MD, PhD, FACP, FASCO
- Sonali M. Smith, MD, FASCO
- Supriya Gupta Mohile, MD, MS, FASCO
- Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, FASCO
- Tara O. Henderson, MD, MPH, FASCO
- Thomas M. Beck, MD, FASCO
- Tracey Weisberg, MD, FASCO
- Wells A. Messersmith, MD, FACP, FASCO
- Yousuf Zafar, MD, MHS, FASCO.
ASCO acknowledges the generous support of the American Cancer Society for the ASCO–American Cancer Society Award and Lecture; Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine/Association of Specialty Professors for the B.J. Kennedy Award and Lecture for Scientific Excellence in Geriatric Oncology; GlaxoSmithKline Oncology for the Gianni Bonadonna Breast Cancer Award and Lecture; Hologic, Inc for the Hologic, Inc Endowed Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award; and Eisai Inc. for the International Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award. ■
© 2019. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.
