Top Physician Scientists Discuss State Of Cancer Research At Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Symposium

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Conferences
Article Date: 09 Apr 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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Internationally renowned physician-scientists will discuss the rapidly changing cancer research landscape in the US, plus important recent discoveries in translational cancer research, during the first Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Clinical Investigator Symposium.

The April 27th event, to be held in partnership with the New York Academy of Sciences, includes a panel discussion on the evolving partnership between academia and industry in research and drug development.

Highlights:

-- Robert A. Weinberg, Ph.D., of the Whitehead Institute and MIT, will deliver the keynote address focusing on the molecular basis of malignancy. Dr. Weinberg is one of the nation's most distinguished cancer researchers, most widely known for his pioneering discovery of the first human oncogene (Ras).

-- A panel discussion titled "Moving from Discovery through Development - The Evolving Relationship between Academia and Industry." Panel participants include senior scientists from leading academic cancer centers and representatives from industry:

-- Jakob Dupont, M.D., Medical Director, BioOncology, Genentech, Inc.;

-- Richard B. Gaynor, M.D., VP, Cancer Research and Global Oncology, Eli Lilly and Co.;

-- John Mendelsohn, M.D., President, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center;

-- Donald W. Rucker, M.D., VP and Chief Medical Officer, Siemens Medical Solutions USA;

-- Charles L. Sawyers, M.D., Chairman of Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

-- Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators, a select group of innovative physician-scientists funded through the Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award program, will discuss their groundbreaking translational research, covering a broad range of topics including the latest work in cancer prevention, biomarkers, cancer stem cells and immunotherapy.

Presenting Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators include:

-- Jeremy N. Rich, M.D., Chairman, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Cleveland Clinic - Cancer Stem Cells

-- Maura L. Gillison, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Chair of Cancer Research, Ohio State University - HPV and Head and Neck Cancer

-- Joseph A. Califano, III, M.D., Professor of Otolaryngology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine - Using Bodily Fluids for Early Detection of Cancers

-- Cassian Yee, M.D., Associate Member, Clinical Research Program in Immunology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center - Adoptive T Cell Therapy

The symposium marks the 10th anniversary of the prestigious Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award, which addresses the critical demand for physicians capable of translating scientific discovery into new breakthroughs for cancer patients.

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation's mission is to find the most brilliant and promising scientists and provide them with funding to pursue innovative research that will eliminate cancer as a deadly disease. Our strategy is to:

-- Recruit the best and brightest early-career scientists into cancer research.

-- Accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into new diagnostic tools and treatments.

-- Enable risk-taking on bold new ideas.

Eleven scientists supported by the Foundation have received the Nobel Prize. Since 1946, the Foundation has invested over $220 million and funded more than 3,200 scientists.

100% of all donations to the Foundation are used to support scientific research. Administrative and fundraising costs are paid from its Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets Service and endowment.

The Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award selects top early-career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research and provides them with the resources and training essential to becoming leaders in this important field. Since 2000, the Foundation has committed more than $30 million to support 44 exceptional physician-scientists from across the United States.

New York Academy of Sciences:

Founded in 1817, the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to advancing science, technology, and society worldwide. With about 24,000 members in 140 countries, NYAS is creating a global community of science for the benefit of humanity. NYAS' core mission is to advance scientific knowledge, positively impact the major global challenges of society with science-based solutions, and increase the number of scientifically informed individuals in society at large.

Source: Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

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