Scientists Awarded For Cancer Research
Photo (From Left): Dr. Manish Shah, Dr. Seema Singh, Dr. Punita Dhawan, Dr. Dharam Pal Chauhan (Secretary SAASCR), Dr. Rajvir Dahiya, Dr. Peiguo Chu, Dr. Sanjay Malhotra, Dr. Venu Raman and Dr. Yong Li.
India-West Staff Reporter
ORLANDO, FL – Seven Indian American scientists were honored for their contributions by the Society of American Asian Scientists in Cancer Research (SAASCR) here.
On April 16, during the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting, Dr. Rajvir Dahiya, president of SAASCR, presented the awards. A press release said those who were honored were:
Manish A. Shah, Professor of Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, the Bartlett Family Professor for Gastrointestinal Malignancies, Chief of the Solid Tumor Service, and Director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology. Shah’s research focuses on understanding gastrointestinal cancer disease biology and in the development of novel therapeutics for gastrointestinal malignancies. He has over 150 peer-reviewed publications, and authored several chapters and books focused on Medical Oncology and in improving the care of patients with Gastrointestinal Cancers, and is sought after worldwide for his insights on drug development in Gastrointestinal Malignancies.
Seema Singh, Ph.D., is a distinguished Pathology Professor and senior member of the Cancer Biology and Cancer Health Disparities Program at the Mitchell Cancer Institute, University of South Alabama. Singh’s laboratory has identified race-specific biological disparities in women with or without a cancer diagnosis that could serve as predictive risk factors for cancer, early-onset cancer, aggressive phenotypes, and poor treatment outcomes. Her outstanding contributions to the field are evidenced by the publication of over 100 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals and several book chapters.
Punita Dhawan, Ph.D. is Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha. She is an expert in Gastrointestinal research. She is known at national and international levels for her research and is considered a leader in the field of Colon Cancer research. Her lab program is largely focused on identifying novel therapeutic targets, understanding associated mechanism/s and developing pharmacological agents to treat Cancer Metastasis and Chemoresistance.
Peiguo Chu, M.D., Ph.D. is Founder, CEO and Pathologist at Neogenomics Laboratories at Alliso Viejo, California. Earlier, he was a Professor of Pathology at the City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California. Chu did his internship from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, residency and fellowship from Yale University School of Medicine in surgical pathology. He has published more than 160 original research articles in peer-reviewed journals. His laboratory was funded through various NIH ROI, UO1, and P30 projects. He has developed various biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of various cancers.
Sanjay Malhotra, Ph.D., FRSC is a Professor & Endowed Chair in Cancer Research in the Department of Cell Development and Cancer Biology and Director, Center for Experimental Therapeutics at the Knight Cancer Institute, OHSU. During President Barak Obama’s tenure, he helped draft policy for Indo-US efforts in science and technology. His interests focus on the design and discovery of synthetic and natural product-inspired small molecules as probes to understand biological phenomena, and translational research in drug discovery, development, imaging, and radiation. Malhotra’s work has led to the preclinical and clinical advancement of several molecules. He has edited five books and authored 150 research articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Venu Raman, Ph.D. is a Professor in the departments of Radiology, Oncology, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences and is the Director of Molecular Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Imaging at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is also an adjunct faculty at the Department of Pathology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands. His interest in cancer biogenesis led to the design and synthesis of a first-in-class drug to treat multiple cancers. Dr. Raman and his team are currently focused to develop this drug for clinical trials in cancer patients with unmet needs. His translation research program is centered on identifying novel druggable targets that will have an impact on curtailing cancer and improving the quality of life for the patients.
Yong Li, Ph.D. is a Professor of Medicine and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine with interests in environmental carcinogenesis, genetic polymorphism, artificial intelligence, monoclonal antibodies, and tumor antigens. His major contribution in cancer research is to understand mechanistic processes influencing gene expression, microRNA pathobiology, exposure to environmental toxicants and their interactive effects with genetic and epigenetic factors on cancer development. His recent work develops novel strategies for understanding the intersection between tumor antigen expression and tumor-infiltrating B cells and plasma cells.
The Society of American Asian Scientists in Cancer Research is a non-profit, non-political organization registered in the state of California in 2004 and has more than 5,000 members.
