SITC 2015 Awardees

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer's 30^th Anniversary Awards celebrate the achievements of current and future leaders in the cancer immunotherapy field. The work of these dedicated individuals that include young investigators, luminaries, leading organizations, regulatory agencies and industry seeks to propel the field forward and build a solid foundation for future advances and soon, a cure.

Download the 30^th Anniversary Award Ceremony program booklet here.

International Scholars | Abstract Travel Awards | Presidential Awards
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer Best Paper Awards | Fellowship Awards
Richard V. Smalley, MD Memorial Award | 30^th Anniversary Special Recognition Awards

International Scholars

The World Immunotherapy Council—a collaborative group of more than 20 organizations from the U.S. and abroad with a shared interest in promoting research and translation of cancer immunotherapy—selected young investigators to present during the International Symposium on Cancer Immunotherapy: Featuring Today's Innovators, Tomorrow's Leaders, part of SITC's 30^th Anniversary Annual Meeting & Associated Programs.

Chosen for exemplary work in the field, these scholars contributed insights and perspective into future issues, challenges, and improvements as cancer immunotherapy is integrated into mainstream cancer treatment.

Amir A. Al-Khami, PhD Tumor Vaccine and Cell Therapy Working Group (TVACT)	Chiara Camisaschi, PhD Cancer Drug Development Forum (CDDF)	Vanessa Clay, MBChB Adoptive Engineered T Cell Trials to Achieve Cancer Killing (ATTACK)	Hsiang-Fong Kao, MD The Chinese Oncology Society (COS)
Gabriele Madonna, PhD Societa Campana di ImmunoTerapia Oncologica (SCITO)	Yuka Maeda, PhD Japanese Association of Cancer Immunology (JACI)	Chiara Martinoli, PhD Network Italiano per la Bioterapia dei Tumori (NIBIT)	Gyorgy Naszados, MD National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary)
Julie Nielsen, PhD Canadian Cancer Immunotherapy Consortium (CCIC)	Yago Pico de Coana, PhD Scandinavian Network for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SNIC)	Margot J. Pont, MSc Dutch Tumor Immunology Working Party (DTIWP)	rer. Nat. Dagmar Quandt, PhD AKTul - Arbeitskreis Tumorimmunologie
Marco Ruella, MD Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)	Christopher Shipp, PhD Progress in Vaccination Against Cancer (PVAC)	Cheng Sun, MD, PhD Committee for Tumor Immunology and Biotherapy, Chinese Society of Immunology (TIBT, CSI)	Hong Zheng, MD, PhD Chinese American Hematologist and Oncologist Network (CAHON)

Abstract Travel Awards

Created in 2007, the Abstract Travel Award highlights promising young investigators who submitted high-scoring abstracts to the SITC Annual Meeting, based on the quality of their research and potential to advance the field. In 2015, 30 young investigators received travel awards in the abstract and presidential categories - 30 awards for 30 years!

Midan Ai, PhD University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center	Challice Bonifant, MD, PhD University of Michigan	Greg Delgoffe, PhD University of Pittsburgh	Christopher DeRenzo, MD Baylor College of Medicine
Matthew Farren, PhD James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University	Danny Khalil, MD, PhD Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center	Gary Kohanbash, PhD University of California San Francisco	Giedre Krenciute, PhD Baylor College of Medicine
Ileana S. Mauldin, PhD University of Virginia	Zachary S. Morris, MD University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health	Douglas Palmer, PhD National Cancer Institute/ National Institutes of Health - Surgery Branch	Anna Pasetto, PhD National Cancer Institute/ National Institutes of Health - Surgery Branch
Alexandre Reuben, PhD University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center	Gabrielle Romain, PhD University of Houston	Manisha Singh, PhD University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center	Sanja Stevanovic, PhD National Cancer Institute/ National Institutes of Health - Surgery Branch
Madhusudhanan Sukumar, PhD National Cancer Institute/ National Institutes of Health - Surgery Branch	Siri Tahtinen, MSc Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Medicum, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki	Li Tang, PhD Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Richard Tavare, PhD University of California Los Angeles
Rieneke van de Ven, PhD VU University Medical Center, Cancer Center Amsterdam	Claire Vanpouille-Box, PhD Weill Cornell Medical College	Kipp Weiskopf, MPhil Stanford University School of Medicine	Erik Wennerberg, PhD Weill Cornell Medical College
Jason B. Williams University of Chicago	Katherine Woods, PhD Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute

Presidential Awards

Presidential Travel Award recipients' abstracts were the top scoring among those submitted for the Annual Meeting by young investigators, based on quality of research, excellence in results and methods, and the potential of their work to advance the field. Of the four Presidential Travel Award recipients, David Clever was selected to receive the Presidential Award based on his presentation during the Presidential Session at SITC's 30^th Anniversary Annual Meeting.

Presidential Travel Awards
 

Amir A. Al-Khami, PhD Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center

Dan A. Erkes Thomas Jefferson University

Alena Gros, PhD National Cancer Institute / National Institutes of Health - Surgery Branch

Presidential Award

Established in 1991, the SITC Presidential Award is the most prestigious Young Investigator Award and recognizes the young investigator deemed to have the most outstanding oral abstract presentation among those delivered in the Presidential Session of the SITC Annual Meeting.

David Clever
National Cancer Institute/National Institutes of Health - Surgery Branch

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer Best Paper Awards

The JITC Best Paper Awards celebrate excellence in scientific research and are awarded to researchers demonstrating leadership in the field as well as innovation and high-quality execution and discussion in their manuscripts. Papers published in the last 12 months authored by SITC members were eligible for nomination for this award.

Best Clinical/Translational Paper

Papers in this category present clinical research that has a clear potential to optimize patient care, with particular emphasis on high quality randomized controlled trials, novel combination treatments, therapies, novel diagnostic or prognostic insights and new insights into mechanism of action. This year's recipient is being recognized for her paper titled: "Myeloid derived suppressor and dendritic cell subsets are related to clinical outcome in prostate cancer patients treated with prostate GVAX and ipilimumab."

Presented to First Author

Saskia Santegoets, PhD
VU University Medical Center, Cancer Center Amsterdam

Best Basic Science Paper

Articles nominated in this category present innovative research in basic medical sciences that has a direct relevance to future research in clinical medicine.  This year's recipient is being recognized for his paper titled: "Combined immune checkpoint protein blockade and low dose whole body irradiation as immunotherapy for myeloma."

Presented to First Author

Weiqing Jing, MD
Medical College of Wisconsin

SITC-Merck Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship Award

The SITC-Merck Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship Award supports the development of the next generation of immunotherapy experts through dedicated funding of novel research. It is provided by SITC's Forward Fund and supported by an independent educational grant from Merck (known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada). This year's recipient is being recognized for his research project titled: "Evaluation of the effect of microbiota on graft-versus-tumor activity in hematological malignancies."

Jonathan Peled, MD, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

SITC-MRA Pilot Award

Developed in collaboration with the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the SITC-MRA Pilot Award seeks to support research of a young investigator that shows strong potential of leading to high impact, near-term clinical application in melanoma detection, prevention, diagnosis, staging, or treatment.

The award is provided to an investigator who is past the initial four years of their first academic faculty appointment to conduct potentially transformative pilot studies in the area of immunotherapy. The recipient of this year's award is being recognized for his winning research project titled: "A novel mechanism of melanoma immunotherapy resistance."

Bin Zhang, MD, PhD
Feinberg School of Medicine
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University

Richard V. Smalley, MD Memorial Award & Lectureship

Established in 2005, the Richard V. Smalley, MD Memorial Award is presented each year to a luminary in the field that has significantly contributed to the advancement of cancer immunotherapy research. This award 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. Named in memory of former Society President and SITC charter member, Richard V. Smalley, MD, this is the Society's most prestigious award. Learn more about this year's recipient, Prof. Tasuku Honjo, here.

Tasuku Honjo, MD, PhD
Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine

30^th Anniversary Special Recognition Awards

2015 Spirit Awards

These nominated awards recognize a group and individual who have continuously demonstrated passion for the field of cancer immunotherapy, as well as for SITC. Recipients of this award stand out as both team-players for the cause and culture creators for the Society.

Group

The CheckPoints
SITC's House Band

James P. Allison, PhD University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center	Keith Bahjat, PhD Bristol-Myers Squibb	Thomas F. Gajewski, MD, PhD University of Chicago	Rachel Humphrey, MD CytomX Therapeutics
Patrick Hwu, MD University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center	Dirk Spitzer, PhD Washington University	John Timmerman, MD University of California Los Angeles

Individual

Michael B. Atkins, MD
Georgetown-Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center

2015 Collaborator Awards

These nominated awards recognize partners from government, industry, and organizations who have made great strides in cancer immunotherapy and have forged meaningful relationships with SITC in a joint effort to propel the field forward.

Government

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Accepted on Behalf of the U.S. FDA:
Raj Puri, MD, PhD; Director of the Division of Cell and Gene Therapy

National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Accepted on Behalf of the NCI:
William D. Merritt, PhD; Program Director

Industry

Merck
Accepted on Behalf of Merck:
Roger D. Dansey, MD; Senior Vice President, Clinical Research Oncology, Merck Research Laboratories

Bristol-Myers Squibb
Accepted on Behalf of Bristol-Myers Squibb:
Nils Lonberg, PhD; Sr. Vice President, Biologics Discovery, Bristol-Myers Squibb

Organizations

Chinise Society for Clinical Oncology (CSCO)
Accepted on Behalf of CSCO:
Yi-Long Wu, MD; President

Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network (CITN)
Accepted on Behalf of the CITN:
Martin "Mac" Cheever, MD; Principal Investigator of the CITN

2015 Outstanding Member/Volunteer Awards

This nominated award recognizes Society members who have advanced the mission of SITC through volunteer outreach activities and committee appointments. The following recipients have tirelessly volunteered their time to serve on one or more SITC committees consistently over the past five years.

Rachel Humphrey, MD
CytomX Therapeutics

Thomas F. Gajewski, MD, PhD
University of Chicago

2015 Visionary/Legacy Awards

This nominated award honors SITC members who are visionaries in the field and continue to show extraordinary ingenuity with continuous contributions in support of advancing the mission of the Society. Recipients of this award have helped strengthen SITC's role in advancing the science and application of cancer immunotherapy, and have demonstrated their dedication to the Society and to the field with a distinguished record of service in leadership and/or committee roles. They are leaders whose counsel others seek and who selflessly give their time and talent. They have been forward thinking during course-changing events, and their engagement has reflected a pivotal influence on the direction of the Society.

Robert H. Wiltrout, PhD
Naitonal Cancer Insitute

Bernard A. Fox, PhD
Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, Providence Cancer Center