Dr. Bishoy M. Faltas, a clinical fellow in the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, has received a 2015 Young Investigator Award from Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). His award is funded through a grant supported by The John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation. Dr. Faltas is currently mentored by Dr. Mark Rubin, Director of the Institute of Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Faltas is currently focused on molecular profiling of metastatic platinum-resistant urothelial bladder carcinoma, a disease with no approved therapies. In particular, he is investigating the molecular changes that occur as urothelial cancer evolves under the effect of chemotherapy and metastatic spread. Identifying these molecular changes will hopefully lead to finding "druggable" targets for translation into therapeutic clinical trials.
Dr. Bishoy Faltas
The Conquer Cancer Foundation is the philanthropic affiliate of ASCO, the world's leading professional organization representing physicians who care for patients with cancer, and this prestigious award is given to oncologists-in-training who are set to emerge as leaders at the national level. The Young Investigator Award (YIA) was established in 1983 by ASCO to provide a monetary grant as "seed" money in support of a young investigator's promising research. Dr. Robert Mayer, a member of the Conquer Cancer Foundation's board of directors, explains, "Before any other organization, ASCO appreciated the importance of providing stability and funding for senior fellows to give them the opportunity to acquire footing – sea legs if you will – in an investigative area with the goal of retaining them to become academic oncologists." Now under the purview of the Conquer Cancer Foundation, the YIA program has awarded seed money to more than 800 fellows. This year Dr. Faltas will be receiving $50,000 for a one-year term in support of his vital research towards understanding the molecular landscape of platinum-resistant urothelial carcinoma. In a March 2010 Special Article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the foundation reported on the success of previous YIA winners. Currently, 73% of YIA winners are working in academic medical centers, and dozens of award winners hold leadership positions at the very highest levels of the profession.
"I am honored to receive one of the Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Young Investigator Awards. In this challenging funding environment, support for young physician-scientists is needed now more than ever. I am very grateful to ASCO and the Conquer Cancer Foundation for continuing to provide such support for me and other young investigators," said Dr. Faltas.
Recipients of the Young Investigator Awards will be honored during a special ceremony at the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago in June.