the Abramson Cancer CenterHonors Abramson Research Fellowship (est. 2007): Established in honor Leonard and Madlyn Abramson by Deborah Feith Tye and the late Cary Tye, the Abramson Research Fellowship supports a junior faculty member who focuses on the delivery of cancer care or innovative cancer research. Gregory L. Beatty, M.D., Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology-Oncology. His clinical research focuses on translating novel imaging strategies to the clinic to understand therapeutic responses to immunotherapy. Dr. Beatty received both his M.D. and Ph.D. from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his internship and residency in medicine and a fellowship in hematology-oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Alan Steinberg Scholars in Cancer Research (est. 2007): Established in memory of Alan Steinberg and selected annually, the Steinberg Scholars Award is given to a member of the Abramson Cancer Center to support the pursuit of excellence in cancer research. Ravi K. Amaravadi, M.D., is currently Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology-Oncology. He is an emerging national leader in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, and is focused on understanding the role of autophagy inhibition and angiogenesis inhibition in cancer therapy. Dr. Amaravadi received his M.D. from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and completed his internal medicine residency training at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a fellowship in hematology-oncology at the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute. 4
Alavi Award for Cancer Research Excellence (est. 2004): Established by Jane Alavi, M.D., Emeritus faculty of the Division of Hematology- Oncology, the Alavi Award is given annually to a junior faculty member or fellow who is engaged in cancer research, specifically in the mechanics or treatment of malignant diseases. Marlise Luskin, M.D., is a second-year and Chief Fellow in the Division of Hematology-Oncology. Dr. Luskin is focusing on clinical research in hematologic malignancies, particularly acute leukemia and bone marrow transplant. Dr. Luskin received her M.D. from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and completed her internal medicine residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital before returning to Penn for a hematologyoncology fellowship. Carole P. & F. Otto Haas Junior Faculty Award in Clinical Oncology (est. 1993): Established by Carole and Otto Haas, the Haas Junior Faculty Award provides start-up support and salary funds to a junior faculty member pursuing a career in clinical oncology. The Haas Awardee has broad interdisciplinary exposure to cancer studies through collaborations with basic science laboratories and clinical departments at the Abramson Cancer Center. Ursina R. Teitelbaum, M.D., is Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, a core faculty member within the Division of Hematology-Oncology s Medicine Residency Program, and leader of the Pancreas Service Line. Her clinical expertise includes gastrointestinal malignancies, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and geriatric oncology. Dr. Teitelbaum received her M.D. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at University of Chicago, and stayed on to complete fellowships in both medical oncology and geriatric medicine. 5
DuPont Guerry Award for Outstanding Mentorship (est. 2009): DuPont Guerry, IV, M.D., is Professor Emeritus of Medicine, former Director of the Melanoma Program, and an internationally-renowned Hematologist- Oncologist whose career in melanoma research and care has led to breakthroughs and hope for patients. Created to honor Dr. Guerry's life-long commitment to mentoring fellows and junior faculty during their medical education, the Guerry Award recognizes and honors faculty members within the field of hematology-oncology who demonstrate exceptional dedication to mentoring and training the next generation of leaders in the field. Charles Abrams, M.D., is Director of the Penn-CHOP Blood Center for Patient Care and Discovery and Associate Chief of the Division of Hematology- Oncology. His fellow hematologists have just elected him to be the 58th President of the American Society of Hematology. He is an outstanding teacher, in both clinical and laboratory settings. His lectures to pre-clinical medical students are evaluated annually to be among the best in the Hematology-Oncology Division, and he is a sought-after mentor for clinical fellows in our Hematology-Oncology training program. Dr. Abrams earned his M.D. at the Yale University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in internal medicine at Temple University Hospital, his residency in medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and a fellowship in the Division of Hematology-Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Edward Stadtmauer, M.D., is Chief of the Hematologic Malignancies Program and Co-Leader of both the Hematologic Malignancies Research Program and the Penn Medicine Hematologic Malignancies Translational Center of Excellence. Dr. Stadtmauer s position as Chief is primarily a mentorship role, and he has mentored many residents, fellows, and junior faculty into full time clinical investigator and faculty member positions at world-class institutions. His ability and success as a mentor is a testament to the great mentors he had during his professional development at Penn Medicine, including Drs. John Glick, Peter Cassileth, Dan Haller, Joel Bennett, and DuPont Guerry. Dr. Stadtmauer earned his M.D. at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and completed his internship and residency in internal 6
medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He completed his fellowship in hematology-oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he founded the Bone Marrow Transplant Program in 1987 and the Myeloma Program in 1999. Elizabeth Kendall Award in Radiation Oncology Nursing Excellence (est. 2007): The Kendall Award was created by Elizabeth Kendall, an exceptionally dedicated and beloved nurse who worked in the Department of Radiation Oncology for more than 40 years. The award recognizes a nurse who demonstrates superlative clinical, organizational, and management skills. Amy Avellino, R.N., is the Director of Ambulatory Nursing in the Department of Radiation Oncology. In this role she manages the entire clinical staff, as well as the clinical activity in the Radiation Oncology treatment clinic. Ms. Avellino received a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Hartwick College and a Master of Science in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. John Glick Prize for Teaching Excellence in Oncology (est. 2006): Established by Mrs. Arlene Mitchell and the late Mayer Bubba Mitchell, the Glick Prize honors faculty members who exhibit distinction in teaching clinical oncology, recognizes remarkable physician-educators, and encourages their continued pursuit of excellence. This award also exemplifies the high educational and professional standards established by Penn Medicine and embodied by Dr. John Glick. Elizabeth Olson Hexner, M.D., M.S.T.R., is Assistant Professor of Medicine and Attending Physician on the Liquid Tumor Service. She performs research in late preclinical development and early clinical investigation in the field of experimental therapeutics and transplantation for hematologic malignancies. Dr. Hexner aims to provide opportunities for trainees to advocate for their patients and learn from their experiences and dynamic diseases, while conveying enthusiasm for the incredible sub-specialty of hematologic malignancies, and all the work that still needs to be done. 7
Dr. Hexner received her M.D. from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and her M.S.T.R. from the Perelman School of Medicine. She completed an internship and residency in medicine at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and a fellowship in hematology-oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The Marlene Shlomchik Fellowship in Cancer Research (est. 1984): Established to honor the life of Marlene Shlomchik by her husband, Dr. Seymour Shlomchik, and her sons Mark and Warren, the Shlomchik Fellowship is awarded to promising and innovative young scientists who exhibit distinction in cancer research, recognizing and encouraging their continued pursuit of excellence. Brandon E. Kremer, M.D., Ph.D., is a Fellow in the Division of Hematology- Oncology. His work has determined that a family of cell scaffolding proteins called septins plays a role in cell division and migration. Dr. Kremer earned his M.D. from the University of Virginia, where he also completed his Ph.D. in microbiology. He completed an internship and residency in medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Morton M. Kligerman, M.D., Award in Radiation Oncology (est. 2006): The Kligerman Award honors the life and work of Dr. Morton M. Kligerman, a national leader in Radiation Oncology, and is given to a physician in the Department of Radiation Oncology whose dedication to research improves the lives of patients with cancer. Dr. Kligerman fostered the emergence of the field of Radiation Oncology around the nation. In addition to his many accomplishments in chemoradiotherapy, he was the leader of studies to test the efficacy of pion therapy in the 1970s. Justin E. Bekelman, M.D., is Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics. A radiation oncologist who specializes in bladder, prostate, and testicular cancer, Dr. Bekelman is a national leader in health services research, and focuses on quality of care and outcomes. 8
Dr. Bekelman received an M.D. from Yale University School of Medicine, and completed his internship at The Johns Hopkins University and fellowships in health outcomes in Memorial Sloan-Kettering s Cancer Center and in clinical effectiveness at the Harvard University School of Public Health. Patel Family Graduate Student Award (est. 2013): Established by Mukesh and Bhavna Patel, the Patel Award is given to outstanding Ph.D. and /or M.D./Ph.D. candidates who have excelled by competing successfully for stipend support from the National Institutes of Health after arriving at Penn. The award allows exceptional young scientists to design and pursue high-risk, highimpact research that fundamentally changes our understanding of cancer and fosters the recipients career in oncology. Sara Small, M.D.'17, G.R.'17, graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in religion, and performed research on blood development and leukemia at Northwestern University before entering the Perelman School of Medicine s M.D./Ph.D. program in the Cancer Biology Graduate Group. A member of Dr. Eric Brown s laboratory, she is studying factors secreted by cells in response to DNA damage and how they affect cancer, aging, and tissue regeneration. Amy DeMicco, G.R.'17, graduated from Rutgers University, cum laude, with a B.S. in biochemistry, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Perelman School of Medicine s Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group. A member of Dr. Craig Bassing s laboratory, her work will further molecular understanding of the tumorsuppressive gene expression changes that allow developing lymphocytes to cope with endogenous and exogenous DNA damage. Vera Mucaj, G.R.'17, graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in biochemical sciences, and is a Ph.D. candidate in the Perelman School of Medicine s Biomedical Graduate Group. A member of Dr. M. Celeste Simon s laboratory, her research interests involve investigating how solid tumors survive and adapt to cellular stress conditions, and how we can transform our knowledge of these adaptation mechanisms into future potential therapeutics. 9
Peter C. Nowell Award in Pathology (est. 2007): Established to honor Peter C. Nowell, M.D., the first Director of the Abramson Cancer Center, former Chairman of the Department of Pathology, and the Gaylord P. and Mary Louise Harnwell Emeritus Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the Nowell Award supports faculty training and cancerrelated research within the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Dr. Nowell spent his distinguished career at the University of Pennsylvania, and demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to medical discovery. He significantly contributed to science and medicine, most notably in his role in discovering the Philadelphia chromosome, the first demonstrated human genetic link to cancer. Jennifer Morrissette, Ph.D, is Clinical Director of the Center for Personalized Diagnostics (CPD) and Scientific Director of the Cancer Cytogenetics Laboratory. At the CPD, she helped build a clinical genomics, next-generation sequencing laboratory that focuses on mutation screening for an array of hematological and solid tumors. Dr. Morrissette received her Ph.D. in molecular genetics from the University of Buffalo, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship fellowship in molecular genetics at Harvard Medical School and a joint fellowship in clinical cytogenetics and clinical molecular diagnostics from the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Stone Family Award in BRCA Prevention Research (est. 2013): The Stone Family Award, established by Norman L. Stone, W 52 and Carol Stone, provides financial support to faculty conducting innovative BRCA 1/2 prevention and vaccine research at the Basser Research Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine s Abramson Cancer Center. Robert Vonderheide, M.D., D.Phil, is the Hanna Wise Professor in Cancer Research, Investigator at the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, and Associate Cancer Center Director for Translational Research at the Abramson Cancer Center. Dr. Vonderheide's research combines efforts in both basic and clinical investigation to explore immunotherapies for breast cancer, other BRCA1/2-related cancers, and other forms of cancer. 10
Dr. Vonderheide received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and completed a residency in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital and a clinical fellowship in hematology-oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He graduated from Oxford University, England, as a Rhodes Scholar with a D.Phil. in immunology. David B. Weiner, Ph.D., is Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Co-Program Leader of Tumor Virology, and Chair of the Gene Therapy and Vaccines Graduate Program. He has worked extensively in the areas of molecular immunology and viral pathogenesis, on the development of gene-based vaccines and immune therapy. His laboratory helped found the field of DNA vaccines. After receiving an M.S. in Biology from the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Weiner went on to get a Ph.D. in developmental biology from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Young Friends of the Abramson Cancer Center Award (est. 2012): The Young Friends Award provides financial support for innovative cancer research performed by junior faculty members at Penn Medicine s Abramson Cancer Center, so that cancer ends with this generation. Ildiko Csiki, M.D., Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and a member of the Lung Cancer Program. Dr. Csiki combines cancer patient care with research that focuses on new cancer targets, radiosensitization, and understanding of the biology and development of lung cancer. Dr. Csiki ccompleted her M.D. and Ph.D. in cancer biology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and her internship and medical residency training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 11