Industry News: American Association for Cancer Research Announces Class of Fellows of the AACR Academy

The mission of the AACR Academy is to recognize and honor distinguished scientists whose major scientific contributions have propelled significant innovation and progress against cancer, and to leverage the expertise of the global brain trust of Fellows of the AACR Academy to advance the mission of the AACR to prevent and cure all cancers through a combination of research, education, communication, and collaboration.

All Fellows are nominated and elected through an annual peer-review process conducted by existing Fellows of the AACR Academy and ratified by the AACR Executive Committee. This process involves a rigorous assessment of each candidate’s scientific achievements in cancer research and cancer-related sciences. Consideration of induction and election into the AACR Academy is restricted to individuals whose work has had a significant and enduring impact on the cancer research field. 

“The 2018 Fellows’ scientific expertise has dramatically transformed the cancer research landscape. Their collective efforts to improve cancer research and patient care are unparalleled and have fundamentally altered the ways in which we study, prevent, diagnose, and treat all cancers. We are delighted to announce their election and induction into the prestigious AACR Academy,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR.

The 12 members of the newly elected class of Fellows of the AACR Academy include:

• Alan Ashworth, PhD, FRS, President of UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center; Senior Vice President for Cancer Services; Professor of Medicine from Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine; E. Dixon Heise Distinguished Professor in Oncology, University of California, San Francisco. 
• René Bernards, DPhil, Professor of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands. 
• Bruce A. Beutler, MD, Director of Center for the Genetics of Host Defense; Regental Professor; Raymond and Ellen Willie Distinguished Chair in Cancer Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas. 
• Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, President and Physician-in-Chief, The City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California. 
• Chi Van Dang, MD, PhD, Scientific Director, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, New York; Professor, The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia. 

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• Gary Gilliland, MD, PhD, President and Director, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle. 
• Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, President and CEO, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Director and Principal Investigator, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Boston. 
• Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, The Dana and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli Professor of Oncology; Deputy Director of Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center; Co-Director, Gastrointestinal Cancers Program, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore. 
• Richard D. Klausner, MD, Founder and Director, Juno Therapeutics; Founder and Director, GRAIL; Executive Chairman, Wisdo, a third-generation internet company; Co-founder and Executive Chairman, Mindstrong, Los Altos Hills, California. 
• Roger D. Kornberg, PhD, Winzer Professor in Medicine, Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California. 
• Arthur D. Levinson, PhD, Founder and CEO, Calico Life Sciences LLC, South San Francisco, California. 
• Norman E. Sharpless, MD, Director, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.

Fellows of the AACR Academy are charged with:

• Identifying scientific priorities that will contribute to the AACR’s programs and activities.
• Influencing science and public policy and creating and/or signing letters addressed to members of the U.S. Congress and to the presidential administration regarding important scientific or policy issues as needed.
• Advocating for increased federal funding for cancer research and cancer-related sciences.
• Participating in special meetings to discuss how to accelerate advances in cancer research.
• Mentoring cancer researchers in training in all research settings.
• Assisting the AACR in educating the public about cancer, the importance of the AACR, and the value of cancer research to public health and the conquest of cancer.

The AACR will formally induct its 2018 class of elected fellows of the AACR Academy at the AACR Annual Meeting 2018, to be held in Chicago, April 14-18. Also at the event, AACR Academy will formally recognize its elected governance and leadership members.

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