STAT's First-ever Biomedical Innovation Award Awarded to Dr. Charles Sawyers, Chair of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

On Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, STAT awarded its first-ever Biomedical Innovation Award to Dr. Charles Sawyers, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator who holds the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Chair of the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The STAT Biomedical Innovation Award is an annual award that looks to recognize one top researcher in biology or medicine whose work has helped to define their field ? and, in the process, helped patients. Sawyers was selected by STAT editors in consultation with a panel of expert judges from across the biomedical space.

"Dr. Sawyers' name has been synonymous with the revolution in cancer therapies that target specific genetic weaknesses in tumors," said Matthew Herper, STAT's senior medicine writer and editorial director of events. "First in chronic myelogenous leukemia and then in prostate cancer, he has spearheaded the development of new drugs that have had a real impact on patients' lives. More than that, he has emerged as a leader in the field, helping other researchers think about how to get new medicines to patients."

The award was underwritten by Pfizer, and presented by Dr. Morris Birnbaum, Pfizer's senior vice president and chief scientific officer of the Internal Medicine Research Unit.

"This award celebrates the future of medicine, science, and patient care ? three topics of critical importance to all of us in the health innovation ecosystem," said Birnbaum. "We're proud to be part of a scientific community that challenges the status quo ? as Dr. Sawyers has consistently done throughout his career ? to help advance breakthroughs for unmet medical need."

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Founded in 2015, STAT is a national digital media brand that focuses on delivering fast, deep, and tough-minded journalism about the life sciences industries to over 2 million readers each month. STAT takes you inside academic labs, biotech boardrooms, and political backrooms, casting a critical eye on scientific discoveries, scrutinizing corporate strategies, and chronicling the roiling battles for talent, money, and market share. With an award-winning newsroom, STAT provides indispensable insights and exclusive stories on the technologies, personalities, power brokers, and political forces driving massive changes in the life sciences industry ? and a revolution in human health.

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