Columbus, Ohio – Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and chief executive officer of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) has assumed the 2017-2018 presidency of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). He was inaugurated during the Annual Business Meeting, held here during the AACR Annual Meeting 2017.

Caligiuri is also John L. Marakas Nationwide Insurance Enterprise Foundation chair in cancer research and a professor in The Ohio State University College of Medicine Departments of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, and Internal Medicine. He is a renowned physician-scientist known for his work in immunology that is focused on human natural killer cells and their modulation for the treatment of leukemia, myeloma, and glioblastoma. Well over 1,500 cancer patients have been treated on clinical protocols that have emanated from the Caligiuri laboratory.

“For nearly a century, AACR has been an unwavering catalyst for advancing cancer research by fostering collaboration among scientists and physicians, accelerating the dissemination of cancer discoveries and supporting the education and training of young cancer researchers. I am humbled and tremendously honored to be elected by my peers to serve as AACR president,” says Caligiuri. “Game-changing cancer research breakthroughs can’t come fast enough — and as an oncology community we must continue to be an unwavering force for progress in research that benefits the many people affected by cancer.” 

Caligiuri has been actively involved with the AACR since 1990, serving on the board of directors (2013-2016) and as chairperson of the Publications Committee since 2003. He has also served as a member of the Clinical and Translational Cancer Research Committee (2001-2004, 2012-present), a member of the Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research Committee (2015); Landon Foundation-AACR INNOVATOR Award for Cancer Prevention Research Scientific Review Committee (2011); Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research Selection Committee (2010); chairperson of the Annual Meeting Program Committee (2009); member of the Scientific Program and Scientific Review Committees for the Translational Cancer Medicine Meeting (2008); Steering Committee of the Cancer Immunology Working Group (2007-2012); Clinical Research and Experimental Therapeutics Awards Selection Committee (2004); chairperson (2002) and member (2001) of the Scientific Committee of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; member of the editorial boards of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (2001-2005) and Clinical Cancer Research (1996-2008); associate editor of Cancer Research (2001-2003); member of the Science Policy and Legislative Affairs Committee (2001-2004, 2006-2009, 2012-2015); the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation Award Selection Committee (1999); and chairperson of the Membership Committee (1999).

He also served as a member of the faculty for the Scientist↔Survivor Program at the AACR Annual Meeting (2003-2009) and as a member of the faculty for the educational workshop, Methods in Clinical Cancer Research (2003-2007).

Additionally, he is president of the Society of Natural Immunity, chair of the Institute of Medicine’s National Cancer Policy Forum, and a member or chair of the external boards for 12 of the nation’s cancer centers. He is a past president of the Association for American Cancer Institutes, as well as a former councilor and executive committee member of the American Society of Hematology, past member of the board of scientific advisors and the board of scientific counselors of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and past vice chair of the scientific advisory board of the Cure for Lymphoma Foundation.

Caligiuri joined the faculty at the OSUCCC – James in 1997. He served on the faculty as a professor and medical oncologist specializing in hematologic malignancies at Roswell Park Cancer Institute from 1990-1997.

He has been recognized with myriad honors and awards throughout his career, including the Director’s Service Award and the MERIT Award from the NCI, the John Wayne Clinical Research Award from the Society of Surgical Oncologists, and the Emil J Freireich Award in Clinical Cancer Research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American College of Physicians, and the Alpha Omega Honor Medical Society, as well as an elected member of the Association of American Physicians and the American Society for Clinical Investigation.

Caligiuri received his bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo; received his master’s and medical degrees from Stanford University in Stanford, California; completed a residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard Medical School and a fellowship in medical oncology, bone marrow transplantation, and immunology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

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