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Society recognizes St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital president, CEO
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The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center named James Downing, MD, the recipient of The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Prize.
The prize recognizes individuals who made groundbreaking contributions with lasting impact on the field of pediatric oncology.
“Dr. Downing’s leadership and vision in the field of pediatric oncology is truly monumental,” Andrew Kung, MD, PhD, chair of the department of pediatrics at Memorial Sloan Kettering, said in a press release. “Because of his discoveries, we have seen a true impact and major advances for pediatric patients globally. Furthermore, these advances are important as they make a difference to the littlest and most vulnerable patients.”
Downing is president and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His research focuses on understanding the genetic basis of cancer to improve treatment for children with malignancies. He helped launch the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, which sequenced normal and cancer genomes from more than 800 children with aggressive but poorly understood tumors.
“During my 30-plus years in science and medicine, steady progress has been made to understand why childhood cancer arises, spreads and resists treatment,” Downing said in the release. “I feel privileged that my work has helped advance the fight against this disease. I share the honor of the 2017 society prize with my colleagues at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, who work toward the day when every child with cancer can be cured.”