Michael Caligiuri became president of the American Association for Cancer Research for 2017-2018.
Caligiuri is the director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and chief executive officer of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, and the John L. Marakas Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Foundation chair in cancer research and a professor in The Ohio State University College of Medicine Departments of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, and Internal Medicine.
Caligiuri is a physician-scientist known for his work in immunology in the treatment of leukemia, myeloma, and glioblastoma. Well over 1,500 cancer patients have been treated on clinical protocols that have emanated from the Caligiuri laboratory.
“Game-changing cancer research breakthroughs can’t come fast enough—and as an oncology community we must continue to be an unwavering force for progress in research that benefits the many people affected by cancer,” Caligiuri said in a statement.
Caligiuri has been involved with the AACR since 1990, serving on the board of directors (2013-2016) and as chairperson of the Publications Committee since 2003. He has also served as:
A member of the Clinical and Translational Cancer Research Committee (2001-2004, 2012-present),
A member of the Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research Committee (2015);
Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for Cancer Prevention Research Scientific Review Committee (2011);
Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research Selection Committee (2010);
Chairperson of the Annual Meeting Program Committee (2009);
Member of the Scientific Program and Scientific Review Committees for the Translational Cancer Medicine Meeting (2008);
Steering Committee of the Cancer Immunology Working Group (2007-2012);
Clinical Research and Experimental Therapeutics Awards Selection Committee (2004);
Chairperson (2002) and member (2001) of the Scientific Committee of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics;
Member of the editorial boards of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (2001-2005) and Clinical Cancer Research (1996-2008);
Associate editor of Cancer Research (2001-2003);
Member of the Science Policy and Legislative Affairs Committee (2001-2004, 2006-2009, 2012-2015);
The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award Selection Committee (1999); and
Chairperson of the Membership Committee (1999).
He served as a member of the faculty for the Scientist Survivor Program at the AACR Annual Meeting (2003-2009) and as a member of the faculty for the educational workshop, Methods in Clinical Cancer Research (2003-2007).
Additionally, he is president of the Society of Natural Immunity, chair of the Institute of Medicine’s National Cancer Policy Forum, and a member or chair of the external boards for 12 of the nation’s cancer centers. He is a past president of the Association for American Cancer Institutes, as well as a former councilor and executive committee member of the American Society of Hematology, past member of the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors and the Board of Scientific Counselors, and past vice chair of the scientific advisory board of the Cure for Lymphoma Foundation.
Elizabeth Jaffee, deputy director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, and associate director of the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, was inducted as president-elect. Nancy E. Davidson, executive director of oncology for Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium and president of Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, now serves as past president.
