Carlo M. Croce, MD, FAACR
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) recognized Carlo M. Croce, MD, FAACR, with the 11th Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research during the AACR Annual Meeting 2017 in Washington, DC.
The Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research was established in 2007 to recognize a champion of cancer research whose leadership and extraordinary achievements in cancer research have had a major impact on the field. Such achievements may include scientific contributions to the acceleration of progress against cancer, significant accomplishments in the national or international awareness of the importance of cancer research, or other ways of demonstrating a sustained extraordinary commitment to cancer research.
Dr. Croce is Director of the Institute of Genetics and Director of the Human Cancer Genetics Program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center as well as Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular Virology, Immunology, and Medical Genetics at The Ohio State University School of Medicine. He is being recognized for his consistent and long-standing impact on the translation of fundamental cancer mechanisms to clinical applications. His many contributions to the field of cancer research have provided an important foundation for the identification of druggable targets and have been invaluable to advancements made toward cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Likewise, his research has masterfully translated chromosomal translocation breakpoints to strategies for cancer prevention, early detection, and therapy.
“Dr. Croce is a highly esteemed basic and translational cancer researcher whose paradigm-shifting work has provided the basis for intensive scientific investigations throughout the international scientific community,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), Chief Executive Officer of the AACR. “He has also provided extraordinary scientific leadership in the national and international scene, including research administration and mentorship of many talented young investigators, and he is greatly deserving of this award.”
Research on Cancer Genetics
Renowned for his investigations of cancer pathogenesis, Dr. Croce has provided valuable insights into the underlying genetic basis of cancer onset. His research has established genetic links to a variety of cancers including Burkitt lymphoma, T-cell lymphoma, and acute leukemia. His discoveries have shown that chromosomal abnormalities such as translocations are capable of contributing to both cancer initiation and progression.
In addition to his studies involving genes such as ALL1 and TCL1, Dr. Croce was the first investigator to discover and sequence BCL2. He later defined a role for this protein in various lymphomas, such as follicular lymphoma. More recently, Dr. Croce’s work has centered on understanding the role of microRNAs in cancer pathogenesis. His research has proved that certain microRNAs have the potential to exhibit either oncogenic or tumor-suppressive properties.
Accomplishments and Awards
Dr. Croce has been an active member of the AACR since 1988 and served as Editor-in-Chief of Cancer Research (1990–1999). He was elected a Fellow of the AACR Academy in the inaugural class in 2013. He has also been recognized with the AACR Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship (2013), the AACR–G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award (2006), the AACR–Pezcoller International Award for Cancer Research (1999), and the AACR–Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award (1990).
Other awards Dr. Croce has received throughout his career include the Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Cancer Institute (2015); Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research (2008); the Jeffrey A. Gottlieb Memorial Award from MD Anderson Cancer Center (2005); the President of the Republic Prize from Accademia dei Lincei in Rome (2003); the Italian Gold Medal for Public Health (2003); the Honor of Merit of the Italian Republic (2000); the Raymond Bourgine Award and Gold Medal of Paris (1999); and the Charles S. Mott Prize from the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation (1993). He is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine and an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Before joining The Ohio State in 2004, Dr. Croce was Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University.
Dr. Croce received his medical degree from the University of Rome. He first came to the United States as an associate scientist at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia and also worked at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and as Director of the Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology at Temple University School of Medicine. ■
