Established in 2005, the Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award and Lectureship is presented each year to a luminary in the field that has significantly contributed to the advancement of cancer immunotherapy research. It serves to honor those that have been pioneers in their work and made a notable impact worthy of high regard and recognition by their peers.
2025Ira Mellman, PhD, FAACR, FAIOParker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy & Medici Therapeutics
2024Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, FAIO, FAACR,FACP, FAAASSidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
2023Robert D. Schreiber, PhD Washington University School of Medicine
2022Zelig Eshhar, PhDWeizmann Institute of Science Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
2021Crystal L. Mackall, MDStanford University
2020Gordon Freeman, PhDDana-Farber Cancer Institute
2020Lieping Chen, MD, PhDYale School of Medicine
2020Arlene Sharpe, MD, PhDHarvard Medical School
2019Olivera J. Finn, PhDUniversity of Pittsburgh
2018Phillip D. Greenberg, MDFred Hutchinson Research Center
2017Paul Sondel, MD, PhDUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
2016Suzanne L. Topalian, MDJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
2015Tasuku Honjo, MD, PhDKyoto University Graduate School of Medicine
2014Giorgio Trinchieri, MDNational Cancer Institute
2013Carl H. June, MDUniversity of Pennsylvania
2012Theresa L. Whiteside, PhDUniversity of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
2011Ralph M. Steinman, MDThe Rockefeller University
2010James P. Allison, PhDMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
2009Isaiah J. Fidler, DVM, PhDMD Anderson Cancer Center
2008Giorgio Parmiani, MDSan Raffaele Foundation
2007Ernest Borden, MDCleveland Clinic Foundation
2006Ronald Levy, MDStanford University School of Medicine
2005Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, PhDNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
This nominated award recognizes an outstanding SITC member or collaborator who has made significant impact on SITC’s development and mission.
2024Bernard A. Fox, PhDEarle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute
2023Kim A. Margolin, MDSaint John's Cancer Institute
2022Michael B. Atkins, MDGeorgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
2021Michael T. Lotze, MD, FACSUniversity of Pittsburgh
Awarded to an individual or group who fosters and enhances the field through any of the following: increasing public understanding, awareness, research efforts and/or funding. This award is not intended to acknowledge an individual's or group's scientific contributions. Distinct from the SITC Lifetime Achievement Award, this award honors an individual's or group's effort in public service promoting cancer immunotherapy.
2024Deborah Collyar, B.SciPatient Advocates in Research (PAIR)
2023Founders of Stand Up To Cancer(Top L-R) Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren, in addition to the late Noreen Fraser and the late Laura Ziskin
2022Bernard A. Fox, PhDEarle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Institute
2021Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc)American Association for Cancer Research
2020Jill O'Donnell-Tormey, PhDCancer Research Institute
2019Sean ParkerParker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
This nominated award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions and demonstrated outstanding commitment to the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC) — the official journal of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.
2024Andrea KunzSociety for Immunotherapy of Cancer
2023Jeffrey S. Weber, MD, PhDLaura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health
2022Cornelis J.M. Melief, MD, PhDLeiden University Medical Center & ISA Pharmaceuticals
2021James Gulley, MD, PhDNational Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
2020Pedro J. Romero, MDNovigenix
2023