Genetics researcher to receive lecture award
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Mary-Claire King, PhD, will receive the William L. McGuire Memorial Lecture Award at this year’s San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, which will be held Dec. 8-12.
The award recognizes King for her research in genetics, including the discovery that the BRCA1 gene harbors mutations that cause hereditary breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
“We are thrilled to be able to recognize the outstanding contributions of Dr. King to breast cancer genetics, prevention and care, and the impact she has had on many with or at risk [for] the disease,” Carlos L. Arteaga, MD, co-director of SABCS, said in a press release.
King is American Cancer Society professor of genome sciences and medical genetics at University of Washington.
Her research led to greatly expanded use of genetic testing for cancer prevention, as well as the development of PARP inhibitors to treat patients with breast, ovarian or prostate cancers who harbor BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.
“It’s a terrific honor to be recognized with the Bill McGuire Award,” King said in the release. “From the 1970s on, Bill McGuire was my hero in breast cancer research. His encouragement of me, a young kid coming to breast cancer research out of left field — mathematical biology — was so important when I began this work. He respected the idea of genetic predisposition to breast cancer. He was critical and thoughtful and constructive. For him to pay attention to my work gave me courage. I thank very much his next-generation colleagues for an award that will link my work forever to his name.”
King’s lecture will focus on the genetics of inherited breast cancer.
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