Announcements

DR. JOSEPH BERTINO GIVEN INTERNATIONAL H. M. BOB PINEDO CANCER CARE PRIZE
Showing that cancer research is more than just beakers and test tubes, Joseph R. Bertino, M.D., the interim director and chief scientific officer of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) and university professor of medicine and pharmacology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is being honored with a prestigious international award today in Amsterdam, recognizing him for advances he has made in compassionate cancer patient care.

The Bob Pinedo Cancer Care Prize was created by the Amsterdam-based, Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI) to honor H.M. Bob Pinedo, M.D., Ph.D., who has been honored and recognized worldwide for his pioneering work and research in oncology and global healthcare for more than three decades. The work of Dr. Pinedo, who is a professor of medical oncology at the Vrije University Medical Center (VUmc) in Amsterdam, has focused on drug resistance, angiogenesis and immunology in the area of cancer.

The Prize is awarded with the hope of inspiring others in the oncology field to keep compassion and integrity at the forefront when developing programs and meeting patient needs worldwide. The award, which includes a bronze trophy in the shape of Pinedo’s hand – symbolizing strength and hope of healing – is being presented to Dr. Bertino at the annual VUmc Cancer Center Amsterdam Oncology Symposium, which draws 400 of the world’s top cancer scientists, researchers and clinicians. It is co-organized by MKI, a non-profit organization, which has a mission to empower healthcare providers in developing and transitional countries to disseminate programs aimed at improving quality of life.

Bertino, who also is an American Cancer Society professor, has been recognized internationally for his role in finding curative treatments in the areas of leukemia and lymphoma. He is the author and co-author of more than 400 scientific publications, and is currently leading his laboratory in the study of the relationship between tumor suppressor gene abnormalities and drug resistance and the use of drug resistant genes to protect bone marrow from chemotherapy toxicity. His academic acceptance speech at the symposium focuses on the latter.

Bertino, who – like Pinedo – strongly believes in the promise held in the translation of lab research directly to the patient bedside, said he feels extremely honored, “This award serves as an inspiration to help guide the next generation of those in the oncology field in the footsteps of Dr. Pinedo. He has consistently and graciously shown us the human side of our work, and it should be the goal of all of us to continue to recognize that aspect as we work collectively toward the goal of eradicating cancer.”

Featured in the photo: The Bob Pinedo Cancer Care Prize.