Minority and underrepresented scientists in cancer research supported by AACR
To increase the participation of underrepresented groups of scientists in professional associations and in cancer research as a whole, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) sponsors a series of award opportunities to strengthen the education and training of talented researchers so they can reach their full potential.
"AACR remains strongly committed to increasing the number of minority and underrepresented scientists and advancing their careers in cancer research," said Margaret Foti, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of AACR.
Three programs highlighted here – AACR-Minority Scholar Awards in Cancer Research, AACR-HBCU Faculty Scholar Awards in Cancer Research, and AACR-WICR Brigid G. Leventhal Scholars in Cancer Research – enable researchers from underrepresented groups in cancer research to participate in the 2003 AACR Annual Meeting. This year's award recipients, along with their affiliations, appear as an attachment.
Seventy-six early career minority scientists will receive AACR-Minority Scholar Awards in Cancer Research from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) for the year 2003.
AACR-Minority Scholar Awards in Cancer Research encourage participation in the Annual Meeting by scientists from groups that are traditionally underrepresented among cancer researchers. These populations include African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Native Pacific Islanders. The grants, supported by a generous grant from the Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Program of the National Cancer Institute, are awarded to outstanding early career researchers based on review of an application and, in most cases, an abstract submitted for the AACR Annual Meeting. While at the meeting, Minority Scholar Award winners participate in networking events and provide detailed reports of their experiences. The 2003 award recipients appear on the attachment.
Sixteen full-time faculty members from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will be participating in the 2003 AACR Annual Meeting, thanks to AACR-HBCU Faculty Scholar Awards in Cancer Research. These awards, also supported by a grant from the Comprehensive Minority Biomedical Program of the National Cancer Institute, are designed to foster the participation of scientists at the level of Assistant Professor or above at an HBCU who are engaged in meritorious basic, clinical or translational cancer research.
AACR-HBCU Faculty Scholar Awards in Cancer Research help strengthen the scientific knowledge base of faculty members at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and encourage these faculty members and their students to pursue and sustain their careers in cancer research. The 2003 award recipients are listed on the attachment.
The AACR-Women in Cancer Research Council works to promote and increase the professional development and achievements of women in the field of cancer research. The Council sponsors the AACR-WICR Brigid G. Leventhal Scholars in Cancer Research Awards, which provide funding to enable promising early career cancer researchers who are members of Women in Cancer Research to participate in the AACR Annual Meeting. This year, ten presenters of meritorious abstracts have been selected as Leventhal Scholars. Their names and affiliations appear on the attachment.
See attached list of award recipients.
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is a professional society of more than 20,000 laboratory and clinical scientists engaged in cancer research in the United States and more than 60 other countries. AACR's mission is to accelerate the prevention and cure of cancer through research, education, communication and advocacy. Its principal activities include the publication of five major peer-reviewed scientific journals (Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention). AACR's annual meeting attracts more than 15,000 participants who share new and significant discoveries in the cancer field, and the AACR's specialty meetings throughout the year focus on all the important areas of basic, translational and clinical cancer research.
List of AACR Award Recipients from Underrepresented Groups for the 2003 Annual Meeting
2003 AACR-Minority Scholar Awards in Cancer Research Deloris Alexander, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina James R. Arteaga, M.D., University of California, Los Angeles, California Nicolas G. Azios, B.S., University of Texas, Austin, Texas Joe Barber, Jr., B.S., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Juan A. Barboza, B.S., UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas Diana Bello-DeOcampo, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota Anika C. Bissahoyo, B.S., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Pedro A. Boria, D.V.M., Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Indiana Maryam L. Boseman, Dillard University, New Orleans, Louisiana Sylvia G. Bovio, M.D., University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas Telih Boyiri, Ph.D., American Health Foundation, Valhalla, New York Joseph W. Briggs, B.S., Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia Erika T. Brown, Ph.D., University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado Winnifred M. Bryant, Ph.D., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia Cherie L. Butts, Ph.D., UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas Johnnie L. Byrd, B.S., University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois Emiro E. Caicedo-Granados, M.D., Western Pennsylvania Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Leslie A. Castelo-Soccio, B.S., Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York Valerie J. Daugherty, M.A., Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee Kristin M. Dittmar, B.S., University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida S. Nicole Driggins, B.A.,Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee Stephanie A. Duell, B.S., Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Erica L. DuPree, M.S., Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio Ekem T. Efuet, Ph.D., UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas Pedro F. Escobar, M.D., Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio Malik J. Francis, M.S., University of California, Los Angeles, California Brandi K. Freeman, B.S., Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota Jasmine P. Gaines, B.S., University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama Mario R. Green, M.S., Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida Lisa R. Gued, B.S. Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida Véronique Guillemard, M.S., McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Yanira Gutierrez-Figueroa, B.S., Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana Shalonda B. Halsey, B.S., Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia Pier S. Hannah, Ph.D., Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia Permila D. Harrell, B.S., Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Charletha V. Irvin-Wilson, B.S., Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee Efe W. Iyamu, Ph.D., Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jerry J. Jaboin, B.S.,* National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland Carmilia Jiménez-Ramirez, B.S., Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Laundette P. Jones, Ph.D., Lombardi Cancer Center, Washington, District of Columbia Monica B. Jones, M.D., Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota Claudia C. Leiras, M.S., Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York Kristin L. Lockett, B.S., Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina Patricia S. Lorenzo, Ph.D., University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii Erica D. Louden, B.S., Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia Jeanelle M. Martinez, Ph.D.* National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Res. Triangle Park, North Carolina Magaly Martinez-Ferrer, M.S., Alabama A&M University, Normal, Alabama Kristy L. McDowell, B.A., Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee Tamara N. McKenzie, B.S., York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Judith F. McKoy, Ph.D., Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York Eduardo Mendez, M.D., University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Claudia P. Miller, M.S., University of Texas, Houston, Texas Gustavo A. Miranda, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, California Kenute A. Myrie, M.S., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Rene Nieves, Ph.D., University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico Chinonye C. Nnakwe, B.S., University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois Carmen A. Perez, B.S., Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Marianela Perez, B.S., University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico Chelsea D. Pinnix, B.S., The Wistar Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Vanessa Pino, B.S., University of Miami, Miami, Florida Alisa C. Plummer-Griffin, M.S., Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia Victoria P. Ramsauer, Ph.D., University of Miami, Miami, Florida Jeanette A. Richards, D.Phil., Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio Checo J. Rorie, B.S., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Lupe G. Salazar, M.D., University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Ricardo F. Sanchez-Ortiz, M.D., UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas Kenyatta W. Stephens, B.S., Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia Marta Torroella-Kouri, Ph.D., University of Miami, Miami, Florida Jean-Claude Twizere, Ph.D., Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Blanca L. Valle Santiago, B.S., University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico Rukiyah T. Van Dross, Ph.D., University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas Renier Velez-Cruz, B.S., Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Aubrey Watkins, III, M.S., Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Shalmica R. Williams, B.S., University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas Shanita D. Williams-Brown, Ph.D.,* National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland Ofelia L. Zegarra-Moro, M.D., Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
(*Additional funding provided by the National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Research.)
2003 AACR-HBCU Faculty Scholar Awards in Cancer Research
Olufemi J. Adegoke, Dr.PH., Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee Felix O. Aikhionbare, Ph.D., Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia Carolyn W. Broome, Ph.D., Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia Cynthia D. Burroughs, Ph.D., Philander Smith College, Little Rock, Arkansas Yuanjian Deng, Ph.D., Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas Ibrahim O. Farah, Ph.D., D.V.M., Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi Delores J. Grant, Ph.D., North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina James W. Lillard., Jr., Ph.D., Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia Godwin O. Mbagwu, Ph.D., Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia Sharon L. McWhinney, Ph.D., Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas Olatunde Okediji, Ph.D., Albany State University, Albany, New York Xiaowu Pang, Ph.D., Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia Jacqueline J. Stevens, Ph.D., Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi Teletia R. Taylor, Ph.D., Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia Paul C. Wang, Ph.D., Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia Yanfei Zhou, Ph.D., Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia
2003 AACR-WICR Brigid G. Leventhal Scholars in Cancer Research
Allison L. Allan, Ph.D., London Regional Cancer Center, London, Ontario, Canada Andrea D. Basso, Ph.D., Cornell University, New York, New York Stephanie L. Cobb, B.S., University of Texas, Galveston, Texas Karin E. de Visser, Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco, California Yan Dong, Ph.D., Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York Ayse E. Erson, M.S., University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan Ester M. Hammond, Ph.D., Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California Faye M. Johnson, M.D., UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas Sok Kean Khoo, Ph.D., Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan Melinda S. Merchant, M.D., Ph.D., National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
