Yale Cancer Center’s Annual Conclave was held on January 5, 2023 to recognize scientific and clinical accomplishments of the Center's faculty and staff in 2022. Dr. Eric Winer hosted the event and presented research awards:
The Yale Cancer Center Population Science Research Prizes were presented to Michael S. Leapman, MD, MHS, Associate Professor of Urology and Clinical Program Leader, Prostate & Urologic Cancers Program and Sajid Khan, MD, FACS, FSSO, Associate Professor of Surgery (Surgical Oncology) and Section Chief, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) and Mixed Tumors. Dr. Leapman was given his award for his work on the study “Mediators of Racial Disparity in the Use of Prostate Magnetic Resonance Imaging Among Patients With Prostate Cancer,” and Dr. Khan for “Evaluation of Racial Disparities in Quality of Care for Patients With Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Treated With Surgery,” both published in JAMA Open Network.
The Yale Cancer Center Translational Science Research Prize was presented to Rachel Perry, PhD, Assistant Professor of Cellular & Molecular Physiology and of Medicine (Endocrinology), for her papers in Precision Oncology, “Multimodal analysis suggests differential immuno-metabolic crosstalk in lung squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma” and Communications Biology, “A precision medicine approach to metabolic therapy for breast cancer in mice.”
The Yale Cancer Center Clinical Science Research Prize was awarded to Joseph Kim, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and Director of Prostate Cancer Research, for his publication in The Journal of Clinical Oncology “Randomized Trial of Olaparib With or Without Cediranib for Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: The Results From National Cancer Institute 9984.”
The Yale Cancer Center Basic Science Research Prizes were presented to Joseph Craft, MD, Paul B. Beeson Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology) and Professor of Immunobiology, and Nikhil Joshi, PhD, Associate Professor of Immunobiology, for their publication in Cell, “Neoantigen-driven B cell and CD4 T follicular helper cell collaboration promotes anti-tumor CD8 T cell responses.”
Daniel C. DiMaio, MD, PhD, who was presented with the Yale Cancer Center Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. DiMaio, the Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Genetics and Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and of Therapeutic Radiology, was recruited to Yale in 1983 by Dr. Sherman Weissman and Leon Rosenberg. He has served on the faculty and in leadership roles at Yale School of Medicine for nearly 40 years and as an advisor and mentor to countless students, graduate students, and faculty.
The Yale Cancer Center Award for Teaching Excellence was presented to Sarah Goldberg, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and Associate Director of the Medical Oncology-Hematology Fellowship Program. Dr. Goldberg was noted for her research and clinical skills and unique ability to tie everything together in her teaching, which some faculty refer to as “the Goldberg Model.”
Manju Prasad, MD, MBBS, Professor of Pathology and Director of the Head & Neck and Endocrine Pathology Program and Saral Mehra, MD, MBA, FACS, Associate Professor of Surgery (Otolaryngology) and Section Chief, Head and Neck Surgery received the Yale Cancer Center Awards for Excellence in Clinical Care presented by Kevin Billingsley, MD, MBA, FACS. Dr. Prasad is internationally known for her expertise in the diagnosis of head and neck malignancies and leads the H&N fellowship program where students seek her mentorship from all over the world. Dr. Mehra was described as “a brilliant surgical technician, while warm and thoughtful leader for clinicians and colleagues.”
Nikhil Joshi, PhD, Associate Professor of Immunobiology, and Kurt Schalper, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology and Medicine (Medical Oncology) and Director of the Translational Immuno-Oncology Lab received the prestigious Class of 1961 Cancer Research Award for their significant accomplishments in cancer research as young members of the faculty, coupled with the expectation for future outstanding contributions to the causes of cancer and the development of novel cancer treatments.
The Ruth McCorkle Oncology Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Award was presented to Erin Medoff, APRN.
Barbara Burtness, MD, was awarded the Yale Cancer Center Award for Leadership in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
The Yale Cancer Center Award for Mentorship Excellence was presented to Xiaomei Ma, PhD.