New Recognition for CAR T Therapy
Carl June, MD
Carl June, MD, director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapy in the Abramson Cancer Center, will receive the 2018 Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research for his pioneering work in developing the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T therapy. It became the nation's first FDA-approved personalized cellular therapy for cancer in August 2017 and was approved for additional indications earlier this year. More recently, the personalized cellular therapy was approved by the European Commission, making it the first CAR T therapy permitted for use in the European Union in two distinct indications.
Three Recognized for Accomplishments
Three faculty members in the Perelman School of Medicine have been selected to receive awards from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the professional organization of all 151 accredited U.S. medical schools and nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems nationwide.
David Asch, MD, MBA, executive director of the Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation, will receive the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation David E. Rogers Award, given for “major contributions to improving the health and health care of the American people.”
Gail Morrison, MD, former senior vice dean for Medical Education at the School of Medicine, is one of four recipients of the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award. Morrison led research, development, and implementation of medical school curriculum changes at Penn and across the nation.
Stanley Plotkin, MD, an emeritus professor of Pediatrics at Penn, will receive the AAMC’s Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences. A leader In the field of vaccine research and development, his attenuated rubella virus vaccine is today used worldwide.
Save the Date!
The fourth annual Penn Medicine Experience Week will take place October 15 through October 19, 2018 to recognize and celebrate employees for the important work they do all year long to improve the patient experience. This includes employees in patient-facing roles as well as those behind the scenes, raising awareness throughout the Health System about the importance of service excellence.