AACR James S. Ewing-Thelma B. Dunn Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pathology in Cancer Research
The AACR established this award in 2021 in honor of James S. Ewing, MD, and Thelma B. Dunn, MD. Dr. Ewing, often referred to as the “Chief of Cancer Pathology,” is best known for his discovery of Ewing sarcoma. Notably, Dr. Ewing was also one of the AACR’s 11 founding members in 1907 and served as the first AACR president from 1907-1909. Over fifty years later, in 1961, Dr. Dunn was elected as the first female AACR president. Dr. Dunn is renowned for her innovative efforts to promote the use of animal models in cancer research and for her development of transplantable mouse mast-cell tumor lines, which have been widely used to advance cancer research. Today, pathologists continue to build upon the legacy of these two quintessential pioneers through their cancer research contributions directed toward advancing our knowledge of cancer through basic, translational, and clinical pathology research.
This award is intended to recognize and celebrate pathologists who have significantly contributed to advancing cancer research, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. This annual award also serves to underscore the AACR’s ongoing commitment to the growth and support of pathologists worldwide who are engaged in basic, translational, and clinical cancer research.
The award will be presented to an individual pathologist affiliated with any institution in the United States or abroad conducting basic, translational, or clinical cancer research.
Eligible individuals must have been formally trained as pathologists. Current board certification is not required for nomination.
The award will be presented to a pathologist who has applied his/her expertise in pathology to make a significant scientific contribution(s) to basic, translational, or clinical cancer research.
Institutions and/or organizations are ineligible to receive the award.
Please direct all inquiries pertaining to this Award or any other AACR scientific achievement award or lecture to Michael J. Powell, PhD, Deputy Director of Scientific Programs, at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 440-9373.
Nominations may be submitted by any individual, whether an AACR member or nonmember, who is currently or has previously been affiliated with any institution involved in cancer research, cancer medicine, or cancer-related biomedical science.
Self-nominations are prohibited.
Nominators must maintain strict confidentiality of their nominations. All nominations must be submitted electronically logging into https://myaacr.aacr.org and selecting Applications/Awards from the main menu. If you don't have a myAACR account you can create one at no costs. Paper nominations will not be accepted.
Eligible nominations must include the following:
- A nomination letter written in English (Max: 1,000 words), which comprehensively describes the candidate's outstanding recent accomplishments in cancer research. Letter must specifically outline the candidate’s current research activity and indicate how their research holds promise for continued substantive contributions to the cancer field. All publications that directly support the mentioned research accomplishments must be referenced within the provided letter.
- A brief scientific citation (Max: 50 words) highlighting the major scientific contribution(s) justifying the award candidate’s nomination.
See the Program Guidelines and Nomination Instructions for complete details.
Eligible nominees will be considered by an Award Selection Committee composed of an international cohort of cancer research experts appointed by the AACR President. After Award Committee deliberations, primary and alternate award recipient recommendations will be relayed to the AACR Executive Committee for formal ratification.
Selection of the Award recipient shall be made on the basis of the candidate's scientific accomplishments without regard to race, gender, nationality, geographic location, or religious or political views.