March 20, 2003
American Association of Cancer Research to honor Dana-Farber's Ronald A. DePinho with its oldest research award
R. DePinho, MD
The American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) has named Ronald A. DePinho, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute the recipient of the 43rd AACR-G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award, the organization's oldest honor. The award, which recognizes recent outstanding achievement in basic cancer research, will be presented on Sunday, April 6, at AACR's annual meeting in Toronto, Canada.
The AACR is honoring DePinho for, among other things, his pioneering use of genetically engineered models to uncover the molecular and biological processes that lead to the development of cancer. His studies of the Myc "superfamily" of cancer proteins have clarified the role these proteins play in the growth and development of normal and cancerous cells.
"Dr. DePinho's discoveries have illuminated major aspects of the tumorigenic process that were heretofore surrounded by dense mystery," says Margaret Foti, PhD, chief executive officer of AACR. "Moreover, his willingness to share discoveries, technologies, and animals generously with others, serves to further these fields even more."
DePinho and his colleagues are well-known for their investigation of telomerase, an enzyme responsible for keeping the tips of chromosomes in tact. This work has provided new insights into telomerase's role in normal cell development, cancer, and aging, along with how problems in telomerase production can lead to DNA damage and cell malfunction.
"I am deeply honored to receive this coveted award and recognize it for what it is - recognition of the wonderful achievements of an extraordinary group of trainees over the years who have had the courage to ask important questions and the drive and talent to get the answer," says DePinho, who is also a professor of medicine and genetics and the American Cancer Society Research Professor at Harvard Medical School.
DePinho joined Dana-Farber and Harvard Medical School in 1998 after a distinguished career in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. DePinho's honors and awards include the Melini Award for Biomedical Excellence, the James S. McDonnell Scholar Award, the American Society of Clinical Investigation Award, and the Steven and Michelle Kirsch Foundation Medical Investigator Award, among others.
AACR and Eli Lilly and Company established the Clowes Memorial Award Lecture in 1961 to honor Dr. G. H. A. Clowes, who was a founding member of the AACR and a research director of Eli Lilly. The Clowes Award recognizes outstanding recent accomplishments in basic cancer research, which the AACR Board of Directors defines to mean both laboratory research and epidemiological investigations.
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is a professional society of more than 19,000 laboratory and clinical scientists engaged in cancer research in the United States and more than 60 other countries. AACR's mission is to accelerate the prevention and cure of cancer through research, education, communication and advocacy. Its principal activities include the publication of five major peer-reviewed scientific journals (Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention). AACR's annual meeting attracts more than 15,000 participants who share new and significant discoveries in the cancer field, and the AACR's specialty meetings throughout the year focus on all the important areas of basic, translational and clinical cancer research.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School and is among the leading cancer research and care centers in the United States. It is a founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), a designated comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.
