COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) announces the following awards, honors, grants and more that were recently given to the organization, teams or individuals: Rathmell to receive Lifetime Achievement Award in Biomedical Sciences W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, CEO of the OSUCCC – James, will receive the prestigious Arthur Kornberg and Paul Berg Lifetime Achievement Award in Biomedical Sciences from the Stanford Medicine Alumni Association (SMAA) at a Nov. 8 dinner on the Stanford School of Medicine University campus. SMAA President Ethan Ncholls, MD, says Dr. Rathmell’s pioneering work in kidney cancer research “has significantly advanced our understanding of complex and hereditary forms of the disease, transforming the lives of countless patients through her innovative interventions.” He also notes that, as a former director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and a dedicated mentor to early-career researchers, Dr. Rathmell is committed to advancing both medicine and the next generation of scientists. Dr. Rathmell, who also holds the inaugural Jeri B. Block and Robert H. Schottenstein Distinguished Chair in Cancer at Ohio State, became CEO of the OSUCCC – James in May 2025 after serving as the 17th director of the NCI. Before that, she was a professor in the departments of Medicine and Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University, where she chaired the Department of Medicine from 2020 to 2023. She previously held faculty positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2003 to 2015. NCI grant will support study of CAR-modified NK cells for treating pediatric solid tumors The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded a three-year, $578,000 career-development grant to help an OSUCCC – James researcher pursue a novel immunotherapy approach to improving outcomes of pediatric patients with solid tumors who can’t be cured with current treatments. Principal investigator is Peter Chockley, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at Ohio State and a member of the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology (PIIO) at the OSUCCC – James, where he also is in the Cancer Biology Program. Paskett receives prestigious ACS Professor Award Electra Paskett, PhD, FACE, FAACR, FASCO, deputy director for population sciences and community outreach at the OSUCCC – James, has become the first person at Ohio State to receive the American Cancer Society (ACS) Professorship Award, the most prestigious grant bestowed by the ACS national program.  After a highly competitive selection process, the ACS Professorship Award is presented to full professors who have histories of pioneering, influential work and mentoring that is changing the direction of cancer research. As an award recipient, Dr. Paskett will receive $400,000 over five years to support innovative pursuits in cancer research. Dr. Paskett, who also directs the Division of Cancer Control and Prevention at Ohio State and is founding director of the Center for Community Outreach and Engagement at the OSUCCC – James, focuses her research on designing intervention strategies that inspire people to make lifestyle changes that enable them to take better control of their health, with the goal of preventing cancer or reducing the burden of the disease. She plans to use her ACS Professorship funding to advance initiatives to address cancer health disparities and screening, especially in Appalachian and other underserved populations. Hays named chair of Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium Steering Committee John Hays, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at Ohio State and member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James, has been named chair of the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium (CRC) Steering Committee. The consortium was created in 2013 to leverage the scientific and clinical expertise of Big Ten universities for collaborating on clinical trials and observational studies designed to improve the lives of cancer patients. The CRC steering committee, which consists of one researcher from each member institution, meets regularly to review consortium activities and decide matters of policy. As steering committee chair, Dr. Hays will work to increase the visibility of the consortium by building rapport among faculty and research staff at member institutions. As a medical scientist at the OSUCCC – James, he specializes in treating peritoneal cancers with gastrointestinal and gynecologic origin, such as colorectal and ovarian cancer.  Radiology at Ohio State gains ACR Prostate Cancer MRI Center designation The Department of Radiology at Ohio State has achieved the prestigious American College of Radiology® (ACR) Prostate Cancer MRI Center designation, an honor awarded to facilities that show commitment to safe and effective diagnostic care for individuals at high risk for this disease. Interim Department of Radiology Chair Zarine Shah, MD, says achieving this designation took months of work by the Radiology team to ensure that several criteria were met, including a medical imaging staff with appropriate experience and qualifications; protocols that meet technical specifications; and the use of Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (PI-RADS®). Founded in 1923, the ACR represents over 40,000 diagnostic and interventional radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians and medical physicists. Two cancer scientists among Ohio State’s newest Distinguished University Professor awardees Two scientists at the OSUCCC – James are among five Ohio State faculty members who have received the title of Distinguished University Professor, the university’s highest faculty honor. Among the 2025 awardees are Patrick Green, PhD,  professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Biosciences, and Anita Hopper, PhD, professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Molecular Genetics. At the OSUCCC – James, Dr. Green is in the Leukemia and Hematologic Malignancies Program, and Dr. Hopper is in the Cancer Biology Program. The Distinguished University Professor title is a permanent honorific that includes automatic membership on the Ohio State President’s and Provost’s Advisory Committee, as well as a cash award of $30,000 to be used for scholarly work. The program has a rigorous selection process that begins each August. Dr. Green is internationally recognized for his pioneering research that has advanced the understanding of human T-cell leukemia viruses (HTLV) and retroviruses. Dr. Hopper’s groundbreaking research has advanced the understanding of transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) biogenesis and processing. Eisfeld invited to speak at prominent ASH & AACR-KCA meetings Ann-Kathrin Eisfeld, MD, associate professor in the Division of Hematology at Ohio State and director of the Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes Research at the OSUCCC – James, will be a guest speaker for the American Association for Cancer Research – Korean Cancer Association (AACR-KCA) on Nov. 14 and for the American Society of Hematology (ASH) on Dec. 5. At the AACR-KCA Joint Conference on Precision Medicine in Cancer, to be held Nov. 13-14 in Busan, South Korea, she will present “Early Detection and Therapeutic Targeting of Extramedullary Acute Leukemia” at a plenary session on Advances in Precision Medicine in Hematological Malignancies. This joint conference provides a global platform for scientific exchange and collaboration in cancer research.  At the Dec. 5 ASH Executive Committee Meeting, held in conjunction with the 67th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando, Florida (Dec. 6-9), Dr. Eisfeld will appear as an ASH Scholar Award alumna to share her story and reflect on the impact of the award, both in sparking innovation in hematology and in shaping the next generation of leaders through mentorship. A member of the Leukemia and Hematologic Malignancies Program at the OSUCCC – James, Dr.  Eisfeld focuses on advancing treatments for patients with blood disorders and cancers. As director of the Bloomfield Center, she oversees teams of outcome research statisticians, cytogeneticists, data managers, bioinformaticians and fellows who support numerous collaborative cancer research projects. Castle Connolly names over 620 Ohio State physicians 2025 ‘Top Doctors’ The 2025 Castle Connolly “Top Doctors” List includes 622 physicians in The Ohio State University College of Medicine who practice at the OSUCCC – James, the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center or Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Many of those listed are associated with Ohio State’s cancer program. The Castle Connolly Doctor Directory is the largest network of peer-nominated physicians in the nation. To be named to the annual “Top Doctors” list, physicians go through a screening process by a physician-led team of researchers who review professional qualifications, education, hospital and faculty appointments, research leadership and rated interpersonal skills. Nationally, more than 70,000 doctors earned recognition from a pool of more than 1 million practicing physicians in the United States. Ringel co-leads national panel that developed new thyroid cancer management guidelines Matthew Ringel, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at Ohio State, co-chaired an American Thyroid Association (ATA) task force that developed new guidelines for managing adult patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, the most prevalent cancer of the thyroid. Dr. Ringel, who also serves as deputy director for basic research and co-leader of the Cancer Biology Program at the OSUCCC – James, co-led the task force with Julie Ann Sosa, MD, of the University of California at San Francisco. Also serving on the task force, which included members from multiple specialties involved in thyroid cancer care, was Pamela Brock, MS, LGC, associate professor in the Division of Human Genetics at Ohio State and member of the Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program at the OSUCCC – James. The new guidelines were published in the journal Thyroid®, the official journal of the ATA. Zhang elected as an International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics Fellow Ping Zhang, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Ohio State, was elected to the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI) 2025 Class of Academy Fellows. Dr. Zhang also is a member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James. The IAHSI is an honor society that recognizes expertise in biomedical and health informatics internationally. Each year, it elects new Fellows in recognition of their expertise and achievements in the field. This year’s class contains 18 Fellows. Dr. Zhang focuses on developing machine learning and data mining algorithms for emerging and critical problems in healthcare and life sciences. He leads the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIMed) Lab and the Artificial Intelligence in Digital Health (AIDH) Collaboration Core at Ohio State. Manne receives Excellence in Pancreatic Cancer Award from ORIEN Foundation Ashish Manne, MBBS, associate professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at Ohio State and member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James, received the Dr. Dale Hedges Excellence in Pancreatic Cancer Award from the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) Foundation. The award will support his study that examines the role of the MUC5AC protein as a biomarker and therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer. Co-founded and co-led by the OSUCCC – James and Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, ORIEN is a national alliance of 17 cancer centers that work together toward better methods for preventing, detecting, diagnosing, treating and caring for patients with cancer through a Total Cancer Care® protocol that enables patients to become partners in advancing cancer research. Dr. Manne, who also is co-director of the Pancreatic Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic at the OSUCCC – James, focuses his research on gastrointestinal oncology, particularly pancreatic and hepatobiliary cancers, with an emphasis on translational research, biomarker discovery, immunotherapy and precision McAlearney elected to Academy of Management Board of Governors Ann Scheck McAlearney, ScD, associate dean for health services research in Ohio State’s College of Medicine (COM) and member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, was elected to the Board of Governors for the Academy of Management, a global organization for professors, students and practitioners who study and apply management and organization theory in practice. Dr. McAlearney, a distinguished professor of Family and Community Medicine and also executive director of the Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics and Systems Thinking (CATALYST) in the COM, is widely known for her expertise in qualitative and mixed-method analyses. Her research focuses on information technology innovations in healthcare, cancer care improvement, population health management, reducing disparities in care, quality improvement and implementation science. Media Contact: Mary Ellen Fiorino, Mary.Fiorino@osumc.edu