Four Harvard Medical School researchers have received awards from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. Two have been named Damon Runyon Fellows, and two have received the Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists.
The four-year Damon Runyon Fellowship encourages promising young scientists to pursue careers in cancer research by providing them with independent funding to investigate cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies, and prevention. Each fellow receives $300,000 in funding over four years.
One incoming and two current HMS students have received 2025 Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. They are among 30 graduate students to receive the merit-based award for immigrants and children of immigrants. Chosen from a pool of more than 2,600 applicants, they were selected for their achievements and their potential to make meaningful contributions to the United States.
Each of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellows will receive up to $90,000 in funding to support their graduate studies.
Five HMS researchers are among the 150 newly elected members of the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.
Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors a scientist can receive.
The newly elected members from HMS are:
- David Altshuler, HMS senior lecturer on genetics, part-time, at Massachusetts General Hospital
- Paola Arlotta, the Golub Family Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
- M. Amin Arnaout, HMS professor of medicine at Mass General
- George Q. Daley, dean of HMS and the Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine
- Jeffrey Holt, HMS professor of otolaryngology head and neck surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital
Eight researchers from HMS have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Class of 2025 for distinguished accomplishments in biological sciences and in engineering and technology.
Established in 1780, the Academy honors excellence and brings together leaders from across disciplines to examine new ideas, address issues of importance, and work together “to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.”
Joel Habener, HMS professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, has been named to receive the 2025 Distinguished Medical Science Award from the Friends of the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
Habener is being recognized for his contributions to the development of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which have transformed the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity and benefited millions of people worldwide. He will share the award with Svetlana Mojsov of The Rockefeller University and Lotte Bjerre Knudsen of Novo Nordisk. The researchers also recently received a Breakthrough Prize and a Lasker Award for their work.
“These three outstanding scientists have played a transformative role in modern medicine,” said Barbara Redman, chair of the Friends of the NLM. “Their collective contributions to the discovery and application of GLP-1 receptor agonists have profoundly improved the lives of individuals with type 2 diabetes and obesity, making them truly deserving of this distinguished honor.”
Habener and his fellow honorees will receive the award at the Friends of the NLM Gala in Washington, D.C., in September.
Adapted from Friends of the NLM materials.
Four HMS researchers and physician-scientists have been recognized by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) for their contributions to the field.
- Toni Choueiri, the HMS Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg Professor of Medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, received the AACR-Waun Ki Hong Award for Outstanding Achievement in Translational and Clinical Cancer Research. Choueiri is being recognized for his transformative advancements in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, which significantly extended patient survival rates for those with metastatic and high-risk disease.
- Rakesh Jain, the HMS A. Werk Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology (Tumor Biology) at Massachusetts General Hospital, received the AACR Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research. Jain is being recognized for transforming scientific understanding of the tumor microenvironment and its role in cancer progression and treatment. Most notably, his hypothesis of vascular normalization reshaped the use of antiangiogenic therapy and led to FDA-approved drug combinations.
“Through his interdisciplinary approach to research, Dr. Jain has fundamentally changed our scientific understanding of tumor biology, and thus has greatly advanced cancer research, improved treatments, and saved lives,” said Margaret Foti, chief executive officer of the AACR. “In addition, his dedication to championing the next generation of cancer researchers is an inspiration.”
- Matthew Meyerson, HMS professor of genetics at Dana-Farber, received the AACR James S. Ewing-Thelma B. Dunn Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pathology in Cancer Research. Meyerson is being recognized for his significant discoveries, including the identification of key oncogenic mutations and the development of genomic diagnostic approaches that have driven major advancements in cancer diagnostics and treatment.
- Alice Shaw, HMS senior lecturer on medicine at Dana-Farber, received the AACR-Joseph H. Burchenal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research. Shaw is being recognized for her revered clinical and translational research that has transformed the treatment of oncogene-driven lung cancers.
The honorees from HMS received their awards at the AACR Annual Meeting in April in Chicago.
