John Powderly II honored by ACCC

JOHN POWDERLY II was named the recipient of the David King Community Clinical Scientist Award by the Association of Community Cancer Centers. Award winners become lifetime members of the ACCC National Academy of Community Oncology Scientists.

Powderly is president and founder of Carolina BioOncology Institute, the only oncologist Certified Physician Investigator in the Charlotte, N.C., region, and is an adjunct clinical assistant professor of medicine at Duke University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

The association’s award is named after David King, who died after a brief battle with cancer. King served the association in many capacities—as president, chair of the Annual Presidents Retreat, and co-chair of ACCC’s Reimbursement Committee.

BERT HOWARD O’NEIL was named the inaugural Joseph W. and Jackie J. Cusick Professor of Oncology and a professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He is also the phase I director and director of the gastrointestinal cancer research program at the IU Simon Cancer Center, and he will represent the cancer center on the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium steering committee.

O’Neil was most recently an associate professor of medicine and director of the gastrointestinal malignancies research program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also was the medical director of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s clinical protocol office. His area of expertise is in gastrointestinal cancers, with a concentration on pancreas, colorectal, and hepatocellular carcinomas.

The professorship was established by Jackie Cusick in memory of her husband Joseph, who co-founded, co-owned and co-operated NCA Group. He was instrumental in building New Hope Presbyterian Church in Fishers, Ind. It is the intent of the donor that the holder be involved in clinical or basic science research aimed at enhancing treatment for patients with gastrointestinal cancers.