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Cancer center leaders elected to IOM
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Two leaders at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center — Waun Ki Hong, MD and Helen Piwnica-Worms, PhD — have been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in recognition of their contributions to medical science and health care.
“Membership in the Institute of Medicine is powerful recognition by outstanding peers of the impact Dr. Hong and Dr. Piwnica-Worms have had as researchers and leaders in advancing our understanding and treatment of cancer,” Ethan Dmitrovsky, MD, provost and executive vice president at MD Anderson, said in a press release.
As vice provost, Piwnica-Worms oversees MD Anderson's preclinical research, which seeks to better understand the precise mechanisms of malignant cells, forming the basis for identifying new targets and developing new treatment.
Her research spotlights new drug combinations for triple-negative breast cancer and is linked to MD Anderson's Breast and Ovarian Cancer Moon Shot, designed to speed the pace of converting scientific discoveries into clinical advances that reduce cancer deaths.
“I'm incredibly honored to be elected to the IOM and grateful for the dedicated collaborators and postdoctoral fellows who are so important to any successful effort in this challenging field,” Piwnica-Worms said.
Leading the division that encompasses MD Anderson's clinical oncology departments, Hong’s clinical and translational research was pivotal in demonstrating novel approaches to cancer prevention and treatment. He pioneered treatment that spared affected organs from surgical removal, provided proof of principle for chemoprevention and led a clinical trial in targeted therapy that used patient lung cancer tumor biopsies to match treatment to tumor.
“For an academician, anyone involved in research, patient care and education, election to the IOM is a great honor,” Hong said. “I must thank the wonderful colleagues and trainees who have been so important to the teamwork required to advance our knowledge of cancer and apply it to help our patients.”