Three Ludwig researchers were recognized for their scientific contributions by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). In June, Ludwig Harvard’s Cigall Kadoch and Ludwig MSK’s Jedd Wolchok received the 2020 AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Cancer Research and the 2020 AACR-Joseph Burchenal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research, respectively; Ludwig MIT Co-director Tyler Jacks received the 2020 AACR Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship in May. Cigall was recognized for her pioneering biochemical and functional characterization of normal and abnormal SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes, which regulate the packaging and availability of DNA to the cell’s gene-reading machinery, and thereby dynamically modulate gene expression. These complexes are frequently disrupted in human cancer and developmental disorders. Jedd received recognition for his leadership in the clinical development of anti-CTLA-4 immunotherapy for melanoma, and for a raft of subsequent work that helped usher in the current era of checkpoint blockade cancer immunotherapy. Tyler, meanwhile, was recognized for his laboratory’s prolific development of sophisticated mouse models for the study of tumorigenesis, and for his discoveries related to oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, cell death, and the immune regulation of tumor progression. The prestigious lectureship is awarded to a scientist whose contributions have “had or may have a far-reaching impact on the detection, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer.” Tyler gave a virtual lecture at the 2020 AACR Annual Meeting, and Cigall will give hers virtually in 2021.
This article appeared in the December 2020 issue of Ludwig Link. Click here to download a PDF (1 MB).