In conjunction with the 2021 World Conference on Lung Cancer, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) presented the following lifetime achievement awards.
Paul A. Bunn, Jr, Scientific Award
David Carbone, MD, PhD, received the Paul A. Bunn, Jr, Scientific Award. This award recognizes scientific contributions to thoracic cancer research.
David Carbone, MD, PhD
Dr. Carbone is Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the James Thoracic Oncology Center at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and Solove Research Institute and Professor of Medicine, The Ohio State University. He holds the Barbara J. Bonner Chair in Lung Research.
Dr. Carbone graduated summa cum laude from Amherst College in 1977 and received a medical degree and doctorate in molecular biology and genetics at Johns Hopkins University in 1985. He pursued an internal medicine internship and residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital through 1988, followed by a medical oncology fellowship at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). At Vanderbilt University, he was Professor of Medicine, Cell Biology, and Cancer Biology and Director of the Thoracic/Head and Neck Cancer Program. He also was Director and principal investigator of the Vanderbilt Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Lung Cancer for 11 years and principal investigator of the Strategic Partnering to Evaluate Cancer Signatures (SPECS) in Lung Cancer UO1 consortium.
“I was recruited to The Ohio State University in 2012 to direct the James Thoracic Oncology Center based on my research interests, grant support, and publications, which have been focused on lung cancer—specifically proteomic and expression array signature development, lung cancer genetics, cancer immunotherapy, and tumor-associated immunosuppression mechanisms,” Dr. Carbone said.
His recent research directions include the development of molecular biomarkers to guide patient treatment as well as molecular profiling of lung cancers and preneoplasias to guide the development of novel therapeutics, especially using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. He has more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, books, and review articles; has served on several NCI grant review panels; and has had continuous funding from the NCI since early in his career.
Joseph W. Cullen Prevention/Early Detection Award
Gabriella Sozzi, PhD, received the Joseph W. Cullen Prevention/Early Detection Award. This honor recognizes contributions to the prevention of thoracic malignancies.
Gabriella Sozzi, PhD
Dr. Sozzi leads the Tumor Genomics Unit at Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori (INT) in Milan, Italy. She is past President of the Italian Cancer Society and sits on the scientific advisory boards of the American-Italian Foundation for Cancer Research and Associazione Italiana Ricerca Cancro. She coordinates research on primary and secondary disease prevention, as well as early detection at the Italian Ministry of Health at INT Milan.
Dr. Sozzi’s research activity is centered on all aspects of lung cancer by using an integrated approach that combines cellular and molecular biology, biochemistry, and pharmacology to gain new insights in the pathogenesis of lung cancer, as well as on novel ways to provide early diagnosis and treatment options. The goal of her translational studies is the implementation of highly sensitive molecular tests that could be used within screening programs to improve both detection and clinical management of lung cancer.
Her early achievements include the characterization of the key genetic events in lung carcinogenesis, including the identification of the oncosuppressor gene FHIT. Her work has led to the identification of cancer-initiating cells in lung cancer, the characterization of microRNA-aberrant expression in lung tumor, and their functional and therapeutic roles. She recently broadened her focus to the study of tumor microenvironment and mechanisms of response/resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Dr. Sozzi developed a plasma microRNA signature useful for risk prediction and early diagnosis of lung cancer in screening programs. In the field of circulating biomarkers, she has a demonstrated record of successful and productive research projects in lung cancer screening. She is co-investigator of the Multicentric Italian Lung Detection (MILD)-LDCT Screening Trial, BioMILD-Prospective Screening Trial (miRNA+LDCT), and Screening and Multiple Intervention on Lung Epidemics (SMILE) trials. She has authored or coauthored 245 full articles with more than 14,478 citations.
Mary J. Matthews Pathology/Translational Research Award
Deepali Jain, MD, DNB, MNAMS, MNASI, FIAC, received the Mary J. Matthews Pathology/Translational Research Award. This award recognizes achievements in pathology and translational research of thoracic malignancies.
Deepali Jain, MD, DNB, MNAMS, MNASI, FIAC
Dr. Jain is Professor in the Department of Pathology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. She is trained in pathology from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. Her areas of special interest are thoracic pathology and cytopathology. Her current research is focused on thoracic malignancies, in which she is examining molecular biomarkers involved in the pathogenesis and pathology of non–small cell and small cell lung cancers in an ethnically diverse population of patients in India.
Dr. Jain serves as a member of IASLC’s pathology committee. She has authored and coauthored more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and multiple book chapters. She is editorial board member of the 2021 World Health Organization classification of thoracic tumors and the upcoming International System for Reporting Lung Cytopathology by IAC-IARC, first edition. In addition, she is a member of the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR), Thymic Epithelial Tumours data set authoring committee and editor of Atlas of Thymic Pathology, first edition.
