Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

(April 17, 2007 – New York, NY) — The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) today awarded two of its top three prizes to investigators from the international Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR). The Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research was awarded to Dr. Richard D. Kolodner, LICR Executive Director for Laboratory Science & Technology, and the inaugural The Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship was awarded to Dr. Webster K. Cavenee, Director of the LICR San Diego Branch. The AACR is the largest and most prestigious professional association for cancer researchers with a membership of over 24,000 worldwide.

The Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research

Dr. Kolodner was the first to show the vital role that DNA repair genes play in suppressing cancer. His innovative research led to the elucidation of the molecular basis for hereditary colon cancers. The Kirk A. Landon-AACR Prize recognizes individual investigators who have contributed landmark scientific achievements in the prevention and treatment of cancer. It is the largest prize for basic cancer research offered by a professional society of peers.

The Princess Takamatsu Memorial Award Lectureship

Dr. Cavenee’s research has shaped the current understanding of the mechanisms involved in cancer predisposition. His studies defined the genetic lesions in retinoblastoma, resulting in the first evidence of the existence of tumor suppressor genes in humans. The award was established in honor of the late Princess Takamatsu of Japan to recognize a scientist whose novel and important discoveries contribute significantly to the advancement of cancer detection, diagnosis, treatment or prevention, and who recognizes the impact of international collaborations.

For further information please contact:

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research:
Dr. Sarah White, LICR Director of Communications
swhite@licr.org
+1 212 450 1543 (Business Hours, New York: UTC/GMT -5 hours)
+1 917 974 7952 (After Hours, New York)

The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR) is the largest international not-for-profit institute dedicated to understanding and controlling cancer. With operations at 43 sites in 15 countries, the scientific network that is LICR quite literally spans the globe. LICR has developed an impressive portfolio of reagents, knowledge, expertise, and intellectual property, and has also assembled the personnel, facilities, and practices necessary to patent, clinically evaluate, license, and thus translate, the most promising aspects of its own laboratory research into cancer therapies.