Immunology

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) will award Amato J. Giaccia, PhD, Radhe Mohan, PhD, FASTRO, and Prabhakar Tripuraneni, MD, FASTRO, with the Society's highest honorâ€"the ASTRO Gold Medal. The 2013 awardees will receive the ASTRO Gold Medal during the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, September 24, at ASTRO's 55th Annual Meeting, September 22-25, 2013, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

ASTRO's Gold Medal, first awarded in 1977, is bestowed annually on up to three ASTRO members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of radiation oncology, including work in research, clinical care, teaching and service. Including the 2013 awardees, only 72 of ASTRO's more than 10,000 members have received the Gold Medal award.

Candidates must be nominated by one Active member of ASTRO and receive letters of support from two additional Active members of ASTRO, detailing the nominee's impact on the advancement of radiation oncology. Nominees may be from any of the scientific disciplines represented in ASTRO, including radiation oncology, biology and physics.

"Congratulations to my esteemed colleagues, Drs. Giaccia, Mohan and Tripuraneni for receiving the ASTRO Gold Medal," said ASTRO Chairman Michael L. Steinberg, MD, FASTRO. "Individually, they have influenced the direction of radiation oncology research, explored new technologies that guide the way we practice, and directly affected the growth of ASTRO and the specialty overall. The collective impact of their achievements has significantly improved the care for and resources available to cancer patients worldwide."

Dr. Giaccia is a radiation biologist and a 21-year ASTRO member who has made considerable contributions to radiation oncology research. His research has been focused on the role of tumor microenvironment in tumor progression and metastasis, specifically the response of tumors and normal tissue to a reduced oxygen environment, or hypoxia. Dr. Giaccia co-authored a 1996 study, "Hypoxia-mediated selection of cells with diminished apoptotic potential in solid tumors," published in Nature, that impacted the research direction of the field by establishing the molecular basis for hypoxia-mediated apoptosis, the process of programmed cell death.

"Winning the ASTRO Gold Medal is a tremendous honor for me personally, as well as for all of the past and current members of my laboratory," Dr. Giaccia said. "This award represents recognition for my lab's work in studying the tumor microenvironment and its impact on cancer therapy."

His laboratory published definitive data in a 2006 study in Nature and two studies in 2009 in Cancer Cell and the Journal of Clinical Oncology demonstrating that hypoxia-related secreted proteins are involved in mediating cell invasion and metastasis. These findings have contributed to the focus on secreted proteins in active clinical and translational investigations in laboratories and biotechnology companies around the world. Dr. Giaccia advanced this research into clinical studies through the development of protein targeting strategies.

In addition to leading valuable research projects, Dr. Giaccia has also dedicated his career to fostering the growth of junior faculty members and trainees. He is the director of the Stanford Cancer Biology Training Program, and director of the Radiation Biology/Molecular Therapeutic Program and the associate director of Education and Basic Research for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Stanford Cancer Center. Dr. Giaccia's graduate students and post-doctoral fellows have gone on to achieve success as independent investigators in academic departments throughout the world. Dr. Giaccia is the Jack, Lulu and Sam Willson Professor of Cancer Biology, associate chair of the department of radiation oncology, and director of the Division of Radiation and Cancer Biology at the Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, Calif. In collaboration with Eric J. Hall, DPhil, of Columbia University Medical Center, Dr. Giaccia has co-authored the last two editions of the textbook, Radiobiology for the Radiologist, which includes two distinct sectionsâ€"one section is focused on diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiation oncology, and the second section concentrates on the clinical practice of radiation oncology.

Dr. Mohan, a medical physicist for 42 years and 22-year ASTRO member, has had a major influence in several areas of radiation oncology, including radiation dosimetry, 3-D conformal radiation therapy (3-D CRT), intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and ongoing research in proton therapy.

"Advancing the field through research, creativity and innovation is the most important contribution a physicist can make to help improve the efficiency, clinical effectiveness and safety of patient care," Dr. Mohan said.

In the 1970s, Dr. Mohan pioneered the development of computer-aided systems for automated dosimetry and record-and-verify systems for radiation therapy, which enhanced patient safety. By the mid to late 1980s, he was among the key leaders in the development of 3-D CRT, and in the 1990s, of IMRT. His most recent efforts have focused on image-guided radiation therapy, management of respiratory motion and proton therapy. Dr. Mohan is the principal investigator at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston on a major program project grant from NCI, working with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, for research and development to optimize proton therapy.