U of A Cancer Center honors members at annual awards event

The University of Arizona Cancer Center honored nine members during its second annual awards dinner on Sept. 4.

“These awards are incredibly special because to receive one you must be nominated by another Cancer Center member who works alongside you and is grateful for your contributions,” said Regents Professor Juanita Merchant, MD, PhD, interim U of A Cancer Center director, associate director of the cancer center basic sciences and chief of the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson’s Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

“The nominations were carefully considered by our Cancer Center interim leadership in determining winners, which was no easy task given the level of talent and dedication evident in our members.”

Research prizes were awarded for excellence in basic science, translational science and population science for publications produced by Cancer Center members that have had the greatest impact on the field this year. 

The center also honored members who excelled in community-engaged research, clinical research, teaching and mentoring excellence, and clinical excellence. Two members were honored with lifetime achievement awards. 

2024 U of A Cancer Center Awards

Research Award for Basic Science 

Andrew Paek, PhD, associate professor in Molecular and Cellular Biology

Nominated by Joyce Schroeder, PhD, department head and professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, for Temporal Coordination of the Transcription Factor Response to H2O2 Stress, published in Nature Communications in April 2024. 

Research Award for Translational Science 

Jianqin Lu, PharmD, PhD, the John A. and Frances P. Ware Associate Professor, and Pharmaceutical Sciences director at the R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. 

Nominated by Steffan Nawrocki, PhD, a professor of medicine at the College of Medicine – Tucson, for Cholesterol-Modified Sphingomyelin Chimeric Lipid Bilayer for Improved Therapeutic Delivery, published in Nature Communications in March. 

Award for Population Science 

Heidi Hamann, PhD, associate professor, College of Medicine – Tucson’s Department of Family & Community Medicine, associate professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Science, and associate head of strategic initiatives, psychology, and co-leader of the U of A Cancer Center Cancer Prevention and Control Program.

Nominated by Gloria Coronado, PhD, a professor of public health at the U of A Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, for Evaluating Implementation of a Community‑Focused Patient Navigation Intervention at an NCI‑Designated Cancer Center Using RE‑AIM, published in the BMC Health Services Research.

Award for Clinical Science 

Clara N. Curiel-Lewandrowski, MD,a professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Dermatology at the College of Medicine – Tucson and the Alan and Janice Levin Family Endowed Chair for Excellence in Cancer Research.

Nominated by Rachna Shroff, MD, the interim clinical affairs director and the associate director of clinical investigations for the Cancer Center, a professor and associate dean, clinical and translational research, and chief of the division of hematology/oncology in the College of Medicine – Tucson. This award recognizes a center member who is considered to have presented the most impactful research in clinical science this year. Curiel is co-director of the Skin Cancer Institute at the U of A Cancer Center and specializes in melanoma chemoprevention, early detection of melanoma, cutaneous T cell lymphomas and skin cancer.

Award for Community Engaged Research 

Jennifer Erdrich, MD, an assistant professor in the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson in the Department of Surgery 

Nominated by Taylor Riall, MD, MPH, a professor of surgery at the College of Medicine – Tucson and the associate director of the U of A Cancer Center. This award is given to the Cancer Center member who best exemplifies excellence in community-engaged, cancer-focused research or in promoting and facilitating community interactions with center members. Erdrich is an assistant professor in the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson in the Department of Surgery and a surgical oncologist in the Division of General Surgery who specializes in melanoma, sarcoma and breast cancers. She also provides general surgical oncology care to tribal populations throughout Southern Arizona.

Award for Teaching and Mentoring Excellence

Aaron Scott, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson 

Nominated by Junaid Arshad, MD. The Cancer Center Award for Teaching and Mentoring Excellence is given to the faculty member who best exemplifies excellence in teaching by ensuring their trainees acquire the skills they need to develop as outstanding health practitioners, scientists and researchers. They provide ongoing feedback, inspire passion for cancer care or for their specific field of study, explain difficult concepts in innovative and creative ways, and stimulate excitement, debate and independent critical thinking. 

Scott is an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson and co-program leader for the Cancer Center Clinical and Translational Oncology Program. He specializes in cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, which include colon cancer, rectal cancer, anal cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, liver cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Award for Clinical Excellence

Rachna Shroff, MD

Nominated by Merchant. The clinical excellence award is given to the physician who best exemplifies excellence in clinical care, including outstanding clinical skills, accruals to clinical trials, use of a patient- and family-centered approach to care, and inclusion of a multidisciplinary care model. 

Lifetime Achievement Awards

This award is for senior members who have done exceptional work during their careers.

Sherry Chow, PhD

Nominated by Sara Centuori, PhD, an assistant professor in the College of Medicine – Tucson and director of the flow cytometry and immune monitoring shared resource at the Cancer Center. Chow was a research professor in the Department of Medicine at the College of Medicine – Tucson and a research scientist at the Cancer Center in the early phase cancer prevention clinical trials program, which has been continuously funded through three competitive funding mechanisms by the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Prevention. She also founded and led the Cancer Center analytical chemistry shared resource for almost 25 years.

Cyndi Thomson, PhD 

Nominated by Jennifer Bea, PhD, associate professor of health promotion sciences and Cancer Prevention and Control Program co-leader; David O. Garcia, PhD, assistant professor in the Zuckerman College of Public Health; and Robin Harris, PhD, MPH, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Zuckerman College of Public Health. Thomson, who retired in August, is a former professor of health promotion sciences in the Zuckerman College of Public Health and former co-leader of the Cancer Center Cancer Prevention and Control Program.