UAB Cancer Center Awards Researchers

Sixteen University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students received awards for cancer research recently at the 13th annual UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Retreat.

November 16, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Sixteen University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students received awards for cancer research recently at the 13th annual UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Retreat.

The awards were presented as part of the research competition in which UAB faculty and students showcase their scientific work in areas of cancer research. This year the competition included 92 poster presentations from which awardees were chosen. Other scientific presentations by UAB faculty and visiting scholars were given during the retreat, held Oct. 28.

Award Recipients and Award Titles:

• The Albert F. LoBuglio Distinguished Faculty Award went to noted breast cancer researcher Andres Forero, M.D., a professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology.

• The John R. Durant Awards for Excellence in Cancer Research went to Corinne Griguer, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery; Braden McFarland, Ph.D. a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Cell Biology; and Thomas Bodenstine, a graduate student in the Department of Pathology. Runner-up honors went Stephen Aller, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Charles Landen, Jr., M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Mudit Vaid, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Dermatology; Benjamin Beck, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pathology; Heidi Coppersmith, a graduate student in the Department of Microbiology; and Mick Edmonds, a graduate student in the Department of Pathology.

• The Tandra Chaudhuri Award for Excellence in Cancer Research went to Anandi Sawant, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pathology.

• The Seng-jaw Soong Award for Excellence in Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Research went to Nicholas Pajewski, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biostatistics.

• The William C. Bailey Award for Excellence in Cancer Prevention and Control Research went to Heather Tinsley, a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Honorable mentions went to Kenneth Kim, M.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; and Maria Azrad, a graduate student in the Department of Nutrition Sciences.

The Cancer Research Experiences for Students (CaRES) Award went to Taylor Poston, a graduate student in the School of Public Health.

About the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center

The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center is among the 41 cancer centers in the nation to meet the stringent criteria for the National Cancer Institute's comprehensive designation. The center is a leader in groundbreaking research, reducing cancer disparities and leading-edge patient care.