U of A Cancer Center honors members at annual awards event

(Pictured in top image of collage at right) University of Arizona Cancer Center 2024 award winners (from left) Rachna Shroff, MD, Aaron Scott, MD, Jianqin Lu, PhD, Andrew Paek, PhD, Cynthia Thomson, PhD, Jennifer Erdrich, MD, Heidi Hamann, PhD, Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD, gather for a photo after the center’s annual awards dinner.

The University of Arizona Cancer Center honored nine members during its second annual awards dinner, hosted at The Graduate hotel, on Sept. 4.

“These awards are incredibly special because to receive one you must be nominated by another Cancer Center member who works alongside you and is grateful for your contributions,” said Regents Professor Juanita Merchant, MD, PhD, interim U of A Cancer Center director, associate director of the cancer center basic sciences and chief of the Department of Medicine’s Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson.

“The nominations were carefully considered by our Cancer Center interim leadership in determining winners, which was no easy task given the level of talent and dedication evident in our members,” she said.

Research prizes were awarded for excellence in basic science, translational science and population science for publications produced by Cancer Center members that have had the greatest impact on the field this year.

The center also honored members who excelled in community-engaged research, clinical research, teaching and mentoring excellence, and clinical excellence. Two members were honored with lifetime achievement awards.

2024 U of A Cancer Center Awards

Research Award for Basic Science

Andrew Paek, PhD, associate professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Nominated by Joyce Schroeder, PhD, department head and professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, for “Transcription Factor Response to H2O2 Stress,” published in Nature Communications in April 2024.

Research Award for Translational Science 

Jianqin Lu, PharmD, PhD, the John A. and Frances P. Ware Associate Professor, and Pharmaceutical Sciences director at the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy.

Nominated by Steffan Nawrocki, PhD, a professor of medicine in the DOM’s Division of Hematology & Oncology as well as the Department of Urology at the College of Medicine – Tucson, for “Cholesterol-Modified Sphingomyelin Chimeric Lipid Bilayer for Improved Therapeutic Delivery,” published in Nature Communications in March.

Award for Population Science

Heidi Hamann, PhD, associate professor, College of Medicine – Tucson’s Department of Family & Community Medicine, associate professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Science, and associate head of strategic initiatives, psychology, and co-leader of the U of A Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control Program.

Nominated by Gloria Coronado, PhD, a professor of public health at the U of A Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, for “Evaluating Implementation of a Community‑Focused Patient Navigation Intervention at an NCI‑Designated Cancer Center Using RE‑AIM,” published in the BMC Health Services Research.

Award for Clinical Science 

Clara N. Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD, interim Cancer Center research director, co-director of the Skin Cancer Institute, professor of medicine and chief of the DOM’s Division of Dermatology at the College of Medicine – Tucson, and the Alan and Janice Levin Family Endowed Chair for Excellence in Cancer Research at the U of A.

Nominated by Rachna Shroff, MD, the Cancer Center’s interim clinical affairs director and associate director of clinical investigations, a professor and associate dean, clinical and translational research, and chief of the DOM’s Division of Hematology & Oncology in the College of Medicine – Tucson. This award recognizes a center member who is considered to have presented the most impactful research in clinical science this year. Curiel is co-director of the Skin Cancer Institute at the U of A Cancer Center and specializes in melanoma chemoprevention, early detection of melanoma, cutaneous T cell lymphomas and skin cancer.

Award for Community Engaged Research

Jennifer Erdrich, MD, an assistant professor in the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson in the Department of Surgery.

Nominated by Taylor Riall, MD, MPH, a professor of surgery at the College of Medicine – Tucson and the associate director of the U of A Cancer Center. This award is given to the Cancer Center member who best exemplifies excellence in community-engaged, cancer-focused research or in promoting and facilitating community interactions with center members. Erdrich is an assistant professor in the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson in the Department of Surgery and a surgical oncologist in the Division of General Surgery who specializes in melanoma, sarcoma and breast cancers. She also provides general surgical oncology care to tribal populations throughout Southern Arizona.

Award for Teaching and Mentoring Excellence 

Aaron Scott, MD, an associate professor in the DOM’s Division of Hematology & Oncology at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson.

Nominated by Junaid Arshad, MD, MS, an assistant professor in the Division of Hematology & Oncology. The Cancer Center Award for Teaching and Mentoring Excellence is given to the faculty member who best exemplifies excellence in teaching by ensuring their trainees acquire the skills they need to develop as outstanding health practitioners, scientists and researchers. They provide ongoing feedback, inspire passion for cancer care or for their specific field of study, explain difficult concepts in innovative and creative ways, and stimulate excitement, debate and independent critical thinking.

Dr. Scott is co-program leader for the Cancer Center Clinical and Translational Oncology Program. He specializes in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, which include colon cancer, rectal cancer, anal cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Award for Clinical Excellence 

Rachna Shroff, MD, MS.

Nominated by Dr. Merchant. The clinical excellence award is given to the physician who best exemplifies excellence in clinical care, including outstanding clinical skills, accruals to clinical trials, use of a patient- and family-centered approach to care, and inclusion of a multidisciplinary care model.

Lifetime Achievement Awards

This award is for senior members who have done exceptional work during their careers.

Sherry Chow, PhD

Nominated by Sara Centuori, PhD, an assistant professor in the DOM’s Division of Hematology & Oncology at the College of Medicine – Tucson and director of the flow cytometry and immune monitoring shared resource at the Cancer Center. Dr. Chow was a research professor in the DOM’s Division of Hematology & Oncology at the College of Medicine – Tucson and a research scientist at the Cancer Center in the early phase cancer prevention clinical trials program, which has been continuously funded through three competitive funding mechanisms by the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Prevention. She also founded and led the Cancer Center analytical chemistry shared resource for almost 25 years.

Cyndi Thomson, PhD

Nominated by Jennifer Bea, PhD, associate professor of health promotion sciences at the Zuckerman College of Public Health with a secondary appointment in the DOM’s Division of Hematology & Oncology, and Cancer Prevention and Control Program co-leader; David O. Garcia, PhD, assistant professor in the Zuckerman College of Public Health; and Robin Harris, PhD, MPH, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Zuckerman College of Public Health. Dr. Thomson, who retired in August, is a former professor of health promotion sciences in the Zuckerman College of Public Health and former co-leader of the Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control Program.

Original story link.

The University of Arizona Cancer Center previously posted a story on the 2nd Annual UACC Awards Dinner on Sept. 19, 2024. See additional details and photos from the event at this link.

The awards also were announced in the Department of Medicine's October newsletter and the U of A Cancer Center's September newsletter.