FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2018
MILWAUKEE – The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is pleased to announce the recipients of three 2018 Fellowship Awards, which support the next generation of cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology experts through dedicated funding of novel research.
These awards include the SITC-Bristol-Myers Squibb Postdoctoral Cancer Immunotherapy Translational Fellowship Award (a two-year, $200,000 award), the SITC-AstraZeneca Postdoctoral Cancer Immunotherapy in Combination Therapies Clinical Fellowship Award (a one-year, $100,000 award) and the SITC-Merck Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship Award (a one-year, $100,000 award).
The SITC Fellowship Awards program, established through the society’s Forward Fund to support efficient translation of immunotherapeutic strategies from the bench to the patient’s bedside, has committed more than $2 million in Fellowship Award opportunities to deserving young investigators since 2014.
“The future of cancer immunotherapy lies with the ability of young investigators to efficiently translate discoveries from pre-clinical research into clinical trials assessing curative potential,” said SITC President Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD. “These fellowships demonstrate how SITC and our industry partners are committed to working together to ensure this future becomes a reality.”
The 2018 SITC Fellowship Award recipients are:
SITC-Bristol-Myers Squibb Postdoctoral Cancer Immunotherapy Translational Fellowship Award
Recipient: David Liu, MD, MPH, MS, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Project Title: “Dissecting Differential Response to Immunotherapy in Melanoma through Clinical Computational Oncology”
Award Amount: $200,000 (two years)
SITC-AstraZeneca Postdoctoral Cancer Immunotherapy in Combination Therapies Clinical Fellowship Award
Recipient: Bryan D. Choi, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Project Title: “Combination Immunotherapy with Chimeric Antigen Reception T cells and Bispecific T-cell Engagers for Glioblastoma”
Award Amount: $100,000 (one year)
SITC-Merck Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship Award
Recipient: Kelly G. Paulson, MD, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Project Title: “Turning immunotherapy responses into immunotherapy cures for the virus-associated Merkel cell carcinoma”
Award Amount: $100,000 (one year)
“SITC is continually impressed by the caliber of applicant to our Fellowships program, and this year’s candidates pool was no different,” said SITC Awards Committee Chair Mary L. Disis, MD, FACP. “Congratulations to Drs. Liu, Choi and Paulson. If their applications are indicative of the work to come, not only by themselves, but similarly of their colleagues, the future of our field is in good hands.
This year’s SITC Fellowship Awards were made possible through the generosity of Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP and Merck & Co., Inc. The award recipients will be honored during a ceremony at the society’s 33rd Annual Meeting on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
To learn more about current and past SITC Fellowship Award recipients, visit the society’s website, SITC Cancer Immunotherapy CONNECT.
About SITC
Established in 1984, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is a non-profit organization of medical professionals dedicated to improving cancer patient outcomes by advancing the development, science and application of cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology. SITC is comprised of influential basic and translational scientists, practitioners, health care professionals, government leaders and industry professionals around the globe. Through educational initiatives that foster scientific exchange and collaboration among leaders in the field, SITC aims to one day make the word “cure” a reality for cancer patients everywhere. Learn more about SITC, our educational offerings and other resources at sitcancer.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
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