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Read more about Fred Hutch achievements and accolades.
The American Association for Cancer Research, or AACR, today announced its 22 newly elected class of Fellows of the AACR Academy. Among them are two scientists from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center: Dr. Fred Appelbaum, executive vice president and deputy director of the Hutch; and Dr. Philip Greenberg, head of the Program in Immunology.
“The 2019 class of elected Fellows encompasses 22 giants in the field of cancer research, and we are thrilled to have them join the ranks of the prestigious AACR Academy,” said Dr. Margaret Foti, chief executive officer of the AACR. “Through groundbreaking work across the entire cancer continuum, these individuals have contributed immensely to the understanding, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. We look forward to their induction and to celebrating their enduring global impact on cancer research.”
Appelbaum and Greenberg will be inducted into the AACR class of Fellows at the organization’s annual meeting, which will kick off this Friday and run through Wednesday, April 3, in Atlanta.
Appelbaum, an international expert in the biology and treatment of leukemias, lymphomas and other blood cancers, has made numerous landmark contributions to his field. Notably, he helped develop Fred Hutch’s renowned program in blood and stem cell transplantation. He also participated in the Hutch’s pioneering work to develop targeted antibody-based cancer therapies. Today he leads the Hutch’s Adult Leukemia Research Center and the Hematologic Malignancy Program of the Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium.
Greenberg is a world expert in cancer immunotherapy, specifically a form called T-cell therapy. His early discoveries about how to target diseases with these immune cells have been foundational for this field. In the lab and the clinic, Greenberg’s team continues to develop new strategies for genetically reprogramming a patient’s T cells to recognize cancers and function more effectively in the difficult tumor microenvironment. They are creating new T-cell therapies for patients with acute myeloid leukemia, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and other cancers.
The AACR Academy recognizes and honors distinguished scientists from throughout the world whose scientific contributions have propelled significant innovation and progress against cancer. The Fellows of the AACR Academy serve as a global brain trust, helping to advance the mission of the AACR to prevent and cure all cancers through research, education, communication, collaboration, science policy and advocacy, and funding for cancer research.
In addition to Appelbaum and Greenberg, others from Fred Hutch who have been inducted into the AACR class of Fellows include Nobel laureate and Director Emeritus Dr. Lee Hartwell, a geneticist who is now chief scientist at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute (2013); molecular biologist Dr. Robert Eisenman, a leader in the field of oncogenes (2015); physician-scientist Dr. Nancy Davidson, who holds the Endowed Chair for Breast Cancer Research and leads the Hutch’s Clinical Research Division as well as its clinical-care partner, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (2017); and Hutch President and Director Dr. Gary Gilliland, an expert in cancer genetics and precision medicine (2018).
