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Immunologist wins medal of honor
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James P. Allison, PhD, chair of immunology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, received the American Cancer Society’s 2015 Medal of Honor for Basic Research.
“It’s a particular honor to receive this recognition from an organization so dedicated to finding cures for cancer,” Allison said in a press release. “For an immunologist who didn’t set out to address cancer, it’s also gratifying to see the impact of immunotherapy affirmed by this award.”
James P. Allison
Allison’s research led directly to new cancer therapies that free the immune system to attack tumors, a treatment approach known as immune checkpoint blockade.
“Jim Allison’s much-deserved recognition by the American Cancer Society reminds us that progress against cancer starts with basic scientists who illuminate the details of life at the molecular level,” Ronald A. DePinho, MD, president, MD Anderson, said in the press release. “Jim’s brilliance and avid pursuit of his curiosity about the fundamentals of T cells already have saved the lives of thousands of cancer patients and kept untold numbers of families together, and there is much research and discovery still to come based on his breakthrough.”