AACR Names New Editor-in-Chief of the Journal Cancer Prevention Research
PHILADELPHIA – The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) today announced the appointment of Nickolas Papadopoulos, PhD, as editor-in-chief of Cancer Prevention Research, one of the 10 highly esteemed journals published by the AACR. Papadopoulos will begin his term on April 1, 2024. He will serve as editor-in-chief alongside Raymond N. DuBois, MD, PhD, FAACR, who has served with distinction as editor-in-chief of the journal since 2018.
Cancer Prevention Research publishes original studies, reviews, and commentaries in the fields of cancer prevention, early detection, and interception. The journal comprises preclinical, clinical, translational, and implementation research, with special attention given to molecular discoveries and an emphasis on building translational and mechanistic bridges between basic, clinical, and population sciences.
“The AACR is thrilled to welcome Dr. Papadopoulos as editor-in-chief of Cancer Prevention Research,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR. “His expertise in cancer genetics, as well as his extensive experience utilizing liquid biopsies for the early detection of cancer, makes him exceptionally well suited for this position and for Cancer Prevention Research’s focus on translational science and early detection.”
Before Papadopoulos was appointed, Michael N. Pollak, MD, served as editor-in-chief of Cancer Prevention Research along with DuBois from 2018 to 2024.
“I would like to extend our deepest thanks to Dr. Pollak for his six years of dedicated service to Cancer Prevention Research,” said Foti. “The AACR is very grateful to him for his many contributions to the journal.”
Papadopoulos is a professor of oncology and pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of translational genetics in The Ludwig Center at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. An expert in cancer genetics, he is internationally known as a discoverer of the genetic basis of the predisposition to hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer, one of the most common hereditary forms of cancer. His highly innovative research has helped identify genetic alterations that drive tumorigenesis in multiple tumor types, including ovarian clear cell carcinomas and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
In recent years, Papadopoulos has focused on translating the genetic information derived from cancer genome analyses to clinical applications in the early detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of cancer. He is an internationally acclaimed leader in the liquid biopsy field whose research has led to the development of more sensitive methods for the detection of circulating tumor DNA. He also developed CancerSEEK, a blood test for the early detection of multiple cancers.
“It is an honor to be selected as editor-in-chief of Cancer Prevention Research,” said Papadopoulos. “I look forward to working with Dr. DuBois to attract and publish high-quality content that will further our scientific understanding of all aspects of cancer detection, interception, and prevention. I am especially excited to expand the journal’s coverage of blood tests and other forms of liquid biopsy as screening tools for detecting cancer early.”
Papadopoulos joined the AACR in 1998. He is a member of the AACR Exploratory IND/Biomarker Driven Clinical Trials Task Force and previously served as a member of the AACR Cancer Progress Report Steering Committee (2019-2020); the AACR Team Science Award Committee (2018-2020); the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)-AACR Career Development Awards Scientific Review Committee (2015-2017); and the PanCAN-AACR Pathway to Leadership Grant Scientific Review Committee (2012-2015). Papadopoulos was chair of the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation-AACR Grants for Carcinoid Tumor and Pancreatic Cancer Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Scientific Review Committee (2011-2012) and chair of the AACR Special Conference: Metabolism and Cancer (2011). He served on the editorial board of the AACR journal Cancer Discovery from 2020 until his appointment as Cancer Prevention Research editor-in-chief.
Over the course of his career, Papadopoulos has been recognized with numerous honors and awards, including most recently the Dr. George N. Papanicolaou Award from the Hellenic Medical Society, the Lauren T. Erb Lecture from the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation, and the Director’s Teaching Award in Laboratory-Based Science from Johns Hopkins. As a member of three different collaborative research teams, Papadopoulos received the AACR Team Science Award in 2013, 2014, and 2017.
He received his undergraduate degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Thessaloniki, Greece, and his doctorate from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston before completing postdoctoral fellowships at the National Institutes of Health and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Papadopoulos has authored or coauthored nearly 200 scientific articles and 13 book chapters.
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