Researcher from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Princeton University Receives Prestigious Award at International Cancer Conference
Newswise — New Brunswick, N.J., March 21, 2012 – A researcher from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) and Princeton University who is helping to advance the molecular understanding of cancer metastasis is being recognized for his work by cancer specialists from around the globe. Yibin Kang, PhD, a member of the Genomic Instability and Tumor Progression Program at CINJ and an associate professor of molecular biology at Princeton University, will receive the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) being held in Chicago later this month. Princeton University is recognized by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a consortium partner of CINJ. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The Annual AACR-Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research was established in 1981 to recognize an investigator aged 40 or younger on the basis of meritorious achievement in cancer research. Dr. Kang was selected by a prestigious international committee of renowned cancer leaders for his “outstanding work related to the intricate interactions between tumor cells and stromal components during the metastasis of breast cancer to bone and other organs.” Kang’s laboratory has been leading an effort to decipher the complex network of genes that facilitate the escape of cancer cells from primary tumors such as breast, as well as their survival in blood circulation and eventual colonization of vital organs.
Kang has extensive expertise in using the mouse as a model system to identify the molecular mechanism of cancer progression and to develop new therapeutic agents. Since 2010, he has served as a co-director of the Transgenic/Knockout Mouse Shared Resource. This Shared Resource, supported by a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-NCI P30CA072720 Cancer Center Support Grant, provides a centralized expert facility for the generation of genetically engineered animals. The steadily expanding use of genetically engineered mouse models in cancer research has resulted in an explosion of information on the in vivo functions of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. This Shared Resource allows research members at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Princeton University to affordably further their animal model-dependent research.
“It is a privilege to receive this award from the AACR and an honor to be recognized by leaders in the field,” noted Kang. “Through continued collaboration with my distinguished colleagues, I am hopeful that we will be able to further elucidate the inner workings of cancer metastasis and apply that knowledge toward the development of targeted therapies.” At the conference, Kang will deliver an award lecture entitled: “Decoding Tumor-Stromal Interactions in Breast Cancer Metastasis.”
Kang’s research is supported by grants from the NIH, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), American Cancer Society, New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research, Komen for the Cure, Breast Cancer Alliance, Brewster Foundation and Champalimaud Foundation. He also has been the recipient of other major awards including: the DOD Era of Hope Scholar Award (2005); the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award (2006); and the 2011 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Sciences, a prestigious award for young immigrant scientists who have made significant contributions to American science and society during the early stage of their career.
About The Cancer Institute of New JerseyThe Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. CINJ’s physician-scientists engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice, quite literally bringing research to life. To make a tax-deductible gift to support CINJ, call 732-235-8614 or visit www.cinjfoundation.org. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCINJ. The CINJ Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Major Clinical Research Affiliate Hospitals: Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Medical Center, Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Overlook Medical Center, and Cooper University Hospital. Affiliate Hospitals: CentraState Healthcare System, JFK Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), Somerset Medical Center, The University Hospital/UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School*, and University Medical Center at Princeton. *Academic Affiliate
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