MD Anderson’s Sharon Giordano and Richard Gorlick honored as 2024 Special Awards Recipients

Awards presented at ASCO Annual Meeting represent Society’s highest honors, recognizing oncology leaders who have reshaped global cancer care

In honor of their outstanding contributions to the field of oncology, two researchers from The University of MD Anderson Cancer Center will be honored with Special Awards at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.

Sharon Giordano, Chair of Health Services Research and Professor of Breast Medical Oncology, will be presented with the Hologic Inc. Endowed Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award in recognition for her dedicated leadership and mentorship to support the development of oncology professionals.

In appreciation and observation of his impactful clinical and translational research in the field of pediatric oncology, Richard Gorlick, Division Head and Chair of Pediatrics and chair ad interim of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, will be presented with the Pediatric Oncology Award.

“These well-deserved awards are a testament to the significant contributions of Drs. Giordano and Gorlick to oncology care and research. Both colleagues are exceptional leaders who have conducted impactful research, shaped clinical practice and inspired the next generation of oncology providers. We congratulate them on these prestigious awards from ASCO,” – said Peter WT Pisters, President of MD Anderson.

In addition to her leadership as a mentor to early-career researchers and clinicians, Giordano’s research on the late and long-term effects of breast cancer treatment has made her an international leader in the subject. Her work was the first to show the occurrence of late cardiac toxicity in older breast cancer patients following anthracycline chemotherapy treatment.

Her research interests also include healthcare disparities and breast cancer in male patients. Giordano serves on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Breast Cancer Guidelines Panel and co-chairs several of ASCO’s breast cancer clinical practice guideline expert panels.

Her excellence in mentorship and teaching has resulted in numerous awards and recognitions, including the MD Anderson Excellence in LEADership Award in 2019, the 2020 MD Anderson Jack and Beverly Randall Prize for Excellence in Cancer Care, and MD Anderson’s President’s Recognition of Faculty Excellence Award for Clinical Quality Improvement in 2022.

Gorlick is recognized for his dedication to advancing targeted therapies for childhood cancers and furthering the global study of osteosarcoma. Having published more than 325 peer-reviewed publications, he is best known for identifying the basis of resistance to antifolates in acute lymphocytic leukemia and osteosarcoma and for developing a national tissue resource for osteosarcoma in his role as director of the Pediatric Sarcoma Research Laboratory, previously known as the Bone Tumor Resource Laboratory.

The Gorlick Laboratory currently is focusing on antibody-drug conjugates as a means for rapid drug development in osteosarcoma, potentially also serving as a paradigm for other rare tumors. His clinical and researcher expertise has translated into multiple clinical trials conducted at MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Children’s Oncology Group and more.

Fulfilling a longstanding vision at MD Anderson, he and colleagues established the institution’s Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program in 2018, which now sees over 1,000 new patients each year. He serves as the current chair of CPRIT’s Advisory Committee on Childhood Cancers.

“We are proud to celebrate Drs. Giordano and Gorlick for these distinguished awards. These physician-scientists personify our institutional commitment to exceptional multidisciplinary research that advances our mission, and their leadership inspires excellence in future generations,” – said Giulio Draetta, Chief Scientific Officer at MD Anderson.

Other posts featuring MD Anderson Cancer Center on OncoDaily.