FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2018
MILWAUKEE – The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is pleased to announce Philip D. Greenberg, MD, Head of the Program in Immunology at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington Professor of Medicine (Oncology) and Immunology, as the 2018 recipient of the Richard V. Smalley, MD, Memorial Award and Lectureship, the society’s highest honor.
Dr. Greenberg, whose laboratory performed some of the earliest studies focused on how immune T cells identify and eliminate cancer cells, will present the keynote address on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, during the society’s 33rd Annual Meeting in November at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
“Through his extraordinary scientific effort in the field of cancer immunotherapy, Dr. Greenberg has helped explain how T cells can be used to treat a range of cancers,” said SITC President Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD. “Beginning with murine models of leukemia and cytokine therapies as ‘biologic response modifiers,’ through CMV-specific T cells in immune-compromised subjects, to his focus on TCR engineered adoptive T cell therapy of cancers, Dr. Greenberg has led substantial progress of the science through clinical trials based in strong mechanistic laboratory data. Dr. Greenberg has been a tireless champion in our field, and it is an honor to name him as the 2018 Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award and Lectureship recipient.”
Dr. Greenberg’s laboratory continues to elucidate the immunobiology of T cell responses using modern technologies and mouse models designed to reflect the human immune response. The lab is currently developing T cell therapies designed to overcome immune-suppressive environments and restore and maintain T cell function, and is identifying new tumor antigen targets. He is pursuing this adoptive therapy approach, which helps the immune system fight disease, to develop novel immune-based therapies. Clinical trials of adoptive T cell therapy are now underway in patients with leukemia and lung cancer, and will soon be targeting pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Greenberg obtained his undergraduate degree in biology from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and received his MD from the State University of New York in 1971. Upon completion of his postdoctoral training at the University of California, he joined the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as a Senior Fellow in 1976. Since that time, he has simultaneously held positions at Fred Hutch and the University of Washington.
The Smalley Memorial Award, established by SITC in 2005 and awarded annually to a clinician or scientist who has significantly contributed to the advancement of research in the field of cancer immunotherapy, is named in honor of the past SITC president and charter member of the society.
Previous recipients of the Smalley Award are: Paul M. Sondel, MD, PhD; Suzanne L. Topalian, MD; Tasuku Honjo, MD, PhD; Giorgio Trinchieri, MD; Carl H. June, MD; Theresa L. Whiteside, PhD; Ralph M. Steinman, MD; James P. Allison, PhD; Isaiah J. Fidler; DVM, PhD; Giorgio Parmiani, MD; Ernest Borden, MD; Ronald Levy, MD, and Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, PhD.
To learn more about this award, visit SITC CONNECT. To view the full schedule of the 33rd Annual Meeting (SITC 2018), click here.
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.
###