The 13th Annual Ross Prize Symposium will be held on June 11 in New York City
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research has selected Carl H. June, MD, from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, from Columbia University, to receive the 13th annual Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine. The Prize will be presented on June 11, in conjunction with The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), at The Cure, 345 Park Ave. S in Manhattan.
The award ceremony will be part of a half-day research symposium. The awardees are being recognized for their pioneering work developing CAR T-cell therapy for the treatment of cancer.
The Ross Prize is made possible by the generosity of Feinstein Institutes board vice chairman Jack Ross and his wife, Robin, assistant vice president of principal gifts at the Northwell Foundation. Established in 2013, the Ross Prize is awarded annually through the Feinstein Institutes’ peer-reviewed, open-access journal Molecular Medicine. The endowed prize includes a $50,000 award for the recipient and is presented to investigators whose research shows high potential for transforming how to treat and cure disease.
՛As pioneers in cellular immunotherapy, Drs. June and Sadelain’s individual work revolutionized the field of T-cell engineering, transforming cancer treatment,՛ said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes, Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research and editor emeritus of Molecular Medicine. ՛Their trailblazing research, which harnesses the body’s immune cells as living drugs, paved the way for effective, FDA-approved therapies and offers immense hope for patients battling various forms of cancer.՛
About Dr. June
Dr. June is an immunologist and cancer researcher who holds the Richard W. Vague Professorship in Immunotherapy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. He serves as the director of both the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Penn.
A globally recognized pioneer in immunotherapy, Dr. June is most widely known for his research on T-cell therapies for cancer. His laboratory identified the CD28 molecule as a key T-cell control switch and demonstrated the long-term engraftment and persistence of genetically modified CAR-T cells in HIV/AIDS patients. This foundational work culminated in 2011 with the development of CAR T-cell therapy, a revolutionary therapy using a patient’s own genetically engineered T cells to treat refractory leukemias, a breakthrough that led directly to the development and commercialization of tisagenlecleucel, which in 2017 became the first FDA-approved cell and gene therapy.
՛I am honored and grateful to be recognized at this year’s Ross Prize, which celebrates our collective journey in harnessing T cells to transform cancer treatment and inspires us to continue innovating for patients,՛ said Dr. June. “This recognition fuels our commitment to continue pushing the boundaries of cellular immunotherapy for those battling life-threatening diseases.՛
About Dr. Sadelain
Dr. Sadelain is a globally recognized pioneer in cell engineering and cell therapy, widely known for developing the concept of CD19 CAR therapy. Dr. Sadelain is the Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Medicine at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he directs the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET).
His research established the foundation for CAR-T therapy, which genetically engineers a patient’s own T cells into living drugs for cancer treatment. He notably designed and named “chimeric antigen receptors” and identified CD19 as an ideal target. His team initiated the first clinical trial targeting CD19 for refractory leukemias in 2007. This pivotal work directly contributed to the 2017 FDA approval of the first CAR-T therapies for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphomas, ushering in a new era of cell-based medicine. Dr. Sadelain’s lab continues to advance CAR-T therapies for broader applications in cancer and other diseases, while also contributing significantly to globin gene therapy research for monogenic blood disorders.
՛Receiving this prestigious award is a deep honor, recognizing our foundational work in T cell engineering and CAR therapy and its profound clinical impact, and motivating us to further advance cell-based medicines,՛ said Dr. Sadelain. ՛This honor reinforces the immense value of our mission and inspires us to relentlessly pursue further innovations in cell-based therapies.՛
Following a brief award presentation, Drs. June and Sadelain will deliver a keynote address discussing their respective research. The symposium will feature presentations by other prominent scientists in related fields, including Isabelle Riviere, PhD, from Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Jim Riley, PhD, from the University of Pennsylvania, and Chrystal Paulos, PhD, from Emory University School of Medicine.
՛We are inspired by the remarkable achievements of Drs. June and Sadelain,՛ said Mr. Ross. ՛Their groundbreaking research in cellular immunotherapy has transformed the lives of countless individuals battling cancer, offering hope and revolutionizing treatment paradigms.՛
Ross Prize recipients continue to make breakthroughs in their respective fields. Last year, Jeffery W. Kelly, PhD, was awarded for his research studying protein folding, misfolding, and aggregation to develop novel therapeutic strategies for amyloid diseases.