Ariel Cahill Hollinshead Hyun, PhD, a pioneering cancer researcher whose work contributed to the foundation of immunotherapy, died September 10, 2019, at the age of 90.
Dr. Hollinshead, as she was known professionally, was born Aug. 24, 1929, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University, then master’s and doctoral degrees in pharmacology from The George Washington University. She completed postdoctoral work in virology and epidemiology at Baylor University Medical Center. In 1959, she joined the faculty at George Washington, teaching classes in pharmacology, virology, immunology, and oncology, and, in 1964, established the Laboratory for Virus and Cancer Research.
Hollinshead published more than 275 research articles and led 17 clinical trials. Her clinical research encompassed tumor antigens and cancer vaccines, laying the groundwork for breakthroughs in immunotherapy and leading colleagues to call her “the mother of immunotherapy.” She was one of the first to develop and test antibodies to various cancer neoantigens that have the ability to induce long-lasting cell-mediated immunity.
Among many honors, Hollinshead was named the USA Bicentennial Medical Woman of the Year in 1976 by the Joint Board of Medical Colleges. Also in 1976, she received the Marion Spencer Fay Award for distinction, innovation, and leadership in medicine and science. In 1980, she received the Star of Europe Medal from the Ministers of Health of Italy, Germany, and England. In 1985 and again in 1996, she received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.
A longtime advocate for women in science, Hollinshead was a former national president of Graduate Women in Science. She became a member of the AACR in 1973, transferring to emeritus status in 1994. As an AACR member, she served on the D.C. State Legislative Committee from 1998 to 2000; was a council member of Women in Cancer Research; and was a member of the Cancer Immunology Scientific Working Group.
She was also a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
I have such fond memories of Ariel and Monty. My late wife and I funded some of her monoclonal antibodies cancer research at George Washington University. We spent many weekends with Ariel and Monty at their WV mountain retreat.