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- Posted Tuesday November 4, 2014
TGen's Dr. John Carpten honored with AACR Distinguished Lectureship on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities
NIH director praises choice of Dr. Carpten to give award lecture on medically underserved and underrepresented at AACR conference Nov. 9
PHILADELPHIA - Nov. 4, 2014 - The American
Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the world's largest
cancer research organization representing more than 35,000
investigators, congratulates Dr. John D. Carpten on receiving the
2014 AACR Distinguished Lectureship on the Science of Health
Disparities, funded by Susan G. Komen.
He will be honored at the American Association for Cancer Research
(AACR) conference on
The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic
Minorities and the Medically Underserved, held Nov. 9-12 in San
Antonio.
Dr. Carpten, Deputy Director of Basic Science at the Translational
Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Phoenix, is being
recognized for his outstanding research focused on understanding
the role of biology in the disparate cancer incidence and mortality
rates seen among minority populations.
Dr. Francis S. Collins, Director of the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), praised the selection of Dr. Carpten: "As NIH
Director, this is a double delight - seeing health disparities
research get the recognition it deserves, and seeing John Carpten,
who I had the privilege of co-mentoring at NIH almost two decades
ago, receiving this award.Bravo to John and the AACR."
Dr. Carpten will deliver his award lecture, "Genetics and Genome
Sciences in Cancer Health Disparities," during the opening plenary
session, 7:15 p.m. CST Nov. 9 in Texas Ballroom D-E of the Grand
Hyatt San Antonio.
The 5th annual
AACR Distinguished Lectureship on the Science of Cancer Health
Disparities, funded by Susan G. Komen, recognizes an
investigator whose novel and significant work has had or may have a
far-reaching impact on the etiology, detection, diagnosis,
treatment, or prevention of cancer health disparities.
"I'm humbled and honored by this recognition. However, I am
actually accepting this on behalf of all of the amazing scientists,
patients, and medical professionals that have contributed to any
work that might be deemed mine," Dr. Carpten said. "I've been
blessed to work with some of the most outstanding scientists in the
world and this award is as much theirs as it is mine. I hope to
continue to pursue the purpose that's been given me to help
understand and ultimately improve health outcomes for all people,
particularly the underrepresented."
Dr. Carpten has made a number of seminal discoveries in cancer
genetics and genomics. His work has applied high-throughput genomic
technologies to discover important genomic alterations in cancer.
In addition, he has a strong passion and commitment to
understanding cancer etiology among minority populations, which is
evident through his leadership role in the African-American
Hereditary Prostate Cancer (AAHPC) Study Network. This network was
conceived by Dr. Carpten and has become a model for genetic linkage
studies in underrepresented populations and was the first to
conduct a genomewide scan for prostate cancer susceptibility genes
in African-Americans.
In addition, his work on multiple myeloma has led to a better
biological understanding of the differences in incidence and
outcomes seen among African-American patients with multiple
myeloma. More recently, his group has discovered a number of single
nucleotide polymorphisms, which confer increased risk of developing
prostate cancer. He has recently led and co-authored a series of
articles describing the roles of genetic variants in prostate
cancer risk in Genome Research, Journal of the National Cancer
Institute, and New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Carpten is an active member of the AACR. He is currently a
senior editor of Cancer Research, and has previously served as a
member of the Minorities in Cancer Research (MICR) Council
Committee, chair of the 2010 MICR Scientific Symposium, member of
the MICR-Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship Committee, member of the
Research Grant Review Committee, and as a member of the editorial
board of Clinical Cancer Research.
Prior to joining TGen, Dr. Carpten was an investigator with the
cancer genetics branch of the National Institutes of Health's
National Human Genome Research Institute. He received his doctoral
degree in molecular genetics from The Ohio State University in
Columbus.
# # #
About the American Association for Cancer
Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research
(AACR) is the world's oldest and largest professional organization
dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent
and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 35,000
laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population
scientists; other health care professionals; and cancer advocates
residing in 97 countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of
expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the
prevention, biology, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually
convening more than 20 conferences and educational workshops, the
largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with over 18,000
attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes eight peer-reviewed
scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients,
and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly
as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As
the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides
expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight
of team science and individual grants in cancer research that have
the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively
communicates with legislators and policymakers about the value of
cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from
cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org. Follow us: Cancer Research
Catalyst http://blog.aacr.org; Twitter @AACR; and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/aacr.org
Press Contact:
Lauren Riley
215-446-7155
[email protected]
*
About TGen
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. TGen is focused
on helping patients with cancer, neurological disorders and
diabetes, through cutting edge translational research (the process
of rapidly moving research towards patient benefit). TGen
physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of
both common and rare complex diseases in adults and children.
Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical
communities literally worldwide, TGen makes a substantial
contribution to help our patients through efficiency and
effectiveness of the translational process. For more information,
visit:www.tgen.org.
Press Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]