New York, NY — In the Great Hall of the Cunard Building, deep in Lower Manhattan, members of the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), a nonprofit that supports the discovery and development of cancer immunotherapies, gathered for their 2024 Annual Awards Gala. The event, held on October 15, celebrates leaders and innovators in the field of immunology. This year’s awards, given out among the elegant marble columns and dome ceilings covered in hand-painted frescoes, celebrated discoveries in tumor immunology as well as in immune response regulation in metabolic and autoimmune disorders. In addition, the event raised about $1 million in funding that will be used to support immunology research projects.
Kicking off the night was the Checkpoints, a musical band of physician scientists and experts in the field of immunology from industry and academia. After the group played a handful of hits, including a rendition of “Rolling in the Deep” by singer-songwriter Adele, Cecily Strong, actress, comedian, Saturday Night Live veteran, and host of the evening, took to the stage. Her welcome remarks, which blended humor with admiration, included a touching account of her 30-year-old cousin, Owen, who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2018 and passed away in 2020. She has shared his story in This Will All Be Over Soon, her memoir published in 2021.
Events then shifted to the main event: recognition of researchers who are moving the needle on cancer research. The Oliver R. Grace Award, named for the institute’s founding chairman, recognizes companies and individuals whose fundraising, advocacy, or awareness efforts have been instrumental in advancing cancer research. This year’s honoree was Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, PhD, CRI’s outgoing CEO and director of scientific affairs. In a video honoring O’Donnell-Tormey, who has been with CRI since 1987, several members noted her longstanding commitment to immunotherapy when it was still just a concept. In addition to serving on various boards, she created research programs that span the laboratory and clinic during her tenure.
Two other awards presented during the night recognized discoveries in basic and tumor immunology. The Frederick W. Alt Award, which honors emerging scientists, was awarded to Andrea Schietinger, PhD, a member of the immunology program and chair of junior faculty at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Her lab, which studies how T cells interact in cancer, autoimmunity, and infection, discovered a role for CD4 T cells in helping to overcome CD8 T-cell dysfunction that has opened a door to new targeted therapy strategies for treating cancer.
Three honorees shared the final award of the night—the William B. Coley Award (who is widely considered the father of immunotherapy). Earmarked for distinguished research in basic and tumor immunology, it recognizes established scientists whose work has deepened the immunology community’s understanding of the immune response to cancer and other diseases and led to the development of effective immunotherapies. The honorees were:
- Mark Anderson, MD, PhD, chair in diabetes research and director of the University of California, San Francisco, Diabetes Center
- Christophe Benoist, MD, PhD, professor of immunohematology at Harvard Medical School
- Diane Mathis, PhD, professor of immunohematology at Harvard Medical School
An expert in diabetes, Anderson was recognized for elucidating how the autoimmune regulator (AIRE) transcription factor promotes immune tolerance. His lab at UCSF continues to study AIRE-expressing cells as well as the pathogenesis of autoimmune diabetes, among other projects.
Benoist and Mathis’ shared lab focuses on T-cell research. They were recognized for their contributions to understanding gene regulation in the immune system, the role of the AIRE gene in immunological tolerance, and the impact of T regulatory cells in controlling immune and inflammatory responses. In addition, their lab is responsible for generating important mouse models of tolerance and autoimmunity as well as for important insights into the regulation of the immune system. They also study interactions between the gut microbiome and the immune system as well as tissue repair and regeneration.
Since this was a night to honor important research contributions, it seemed fitting that remarks from both honorees and members of CRI leadership celebrated how far the field has come while simultaneously acknowledging how much is still left to do. Immunotherapies are certainly an active area of research in both industry and academia. According to CRI’s numbers, in the last year, there were 13 FDA approvals for immunotherapy treatments covering 10 drugs for 11 types of cancers. CRI also estimates that about 45% of newly diagnosed patients are eligible for at least one form of immunotherapy.
In her remarks, new CRI CEO Alicia Zhou, PhD, praised both the dedication of CRI scientists to their work and the institute’s role in helping to drive the future of cancer immunotherapy. Zhou officially took the helm at CRI earlier this year, succeeding O’Donnell-Tormey who held the role since 1993. Her previous roles include a stint at Color Health, where she served as its CSO. She also highlighted advances in tools and technologies that have made it possible to capture and analyze large quantities of biological data and are helping scientists understand cancer in new ways leading to more effective treatments and therapies.
And their work is bearing fruit, as illustrated in the story of Isolde Artz, who also took the stage; a melanoma survivor who is now cancer-free thanks to immunotherapy. She was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer about five years ago. Noting how immunotherapy saved her life, Isolde said she now aims to connect more patients to treatments and has helped more than 200 people so far. “I envision a future where science triumphs over cancer,” she said.
