By Melissa Badamo - Last Updated: March 11, 2024
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recently announced their newly elected 2024 class of fellows of the AACR Academy.
The AACR Academy recognizes and honors distinguished scientists whose contributions have propelled significant innovation and progress against cancer, according to a press release from the society. Those recognized for their work related to the field of hematologic oncology include the following:
- Benjamin Ebert, MD, PhD
- Susan Galbraith, MBBChir, PhD
- Richard Gelber, PhD
- Margaret Goodell, PhD
- Miriam Merad, MD, PhD
Dr. Ebert serves as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Chair of Medical Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He was nominated for his contributions to elucidating the mechanism of action of thalidomide analogs in multiple myeloma (MM), characterizing 5q deletions in myelodysplastic syndromes, defining the importance of age-related clonal hematopoiesis in carcinogenesis, and providing critical insights into targeted protein degradation as a therapeutic strategy.
Dr. Galbraith, Executive Vice President of Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca, was nominated for her contributions to the development of several cancer medicines, including acalabrutinib for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Dr. Gelber, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School, was nominated in part for his leadership of biostatistical collaborations on practice-changing clinical trials in pediatric leukemia, according to the AACR.
At Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, Dr. Goodell serves as Professor and Chair of Molecular and Cellular Biology, the Vivian L. Smith Chair in Regenerative Medicine, and Director of the Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center. She is recognized for her work surrounding hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), specifically clarifying the role of interferons in coordinating hematopoietic regeneration from stem cells in response to stress and pathogens, discovering the critical role that methylation plays in HSC regeneration and expansion, and establishing DNMT3A as a master epigenetic regulator and tumor suppressor in the hematopoietic system.
Dr. Merad serves as Chair of the Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Director of the Precision Immunology Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and Professor of Oncological Sciences, Medicine, and Hematology at the Icahn School of Medicine. She was honored for elucidating the roles of myeloid cells in inflammation and tumorigenesis, as well as contributing to the advancement of targeted therapies focused on myeloid cells in both cancer and inflammatory diseases.
The newly elected fellows will be formally recognized during the AACR Annual Meeting 2024 Opening Ceremony at 8 am PDT on Sunday, April 7.
Original Source: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Announces Newly Elected Class of Fellows | Blood Cancers Today