Newswise — Rockville, MD—The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) today awarded Elaine S. Jaffe, MD, Distinguished Investigator at the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NCI), with the Excellence in Science Lifetime Achievement Award. NCI is the U.S. government’s principal agency for cancer research.
Recently ranked as the 16th best woman scientist in the U.S. and 24th best woman scientist in the world in an analysis conducted by Research.com, Jaffe’s work over the past 50 years has changed the way in which the diagnosis of lymphoma is made worldwide. She has single-handedly changed the practice of hematological cancers and her discoveries have impacted the lives of patients throughout the world. She is the final arbiter for challenging diagnostic problems submitted to her from around the world, personally reviewing more than 2,000 cases annually.
“FASEB provides an important voice for the support of science and biomedical research. For more than 50 years at the National Institutes of Health, I have looked forward to each new day at work. My good fortune has enabled me to intertwine my clinical diagnostic work with scientific discovery. Communicating this excitement to the next generation makes it even more rewarding,” says Jaffe.
For more than 30 years, FASEB’s Excellence in Science Awards have highlighted outstanding achievements by women in biological science. The award is bestowed to female scientists demonstrating not only excellence and innovation in their research fields, but exemplary leadership and mentorship as well.
“Dr. Jaffe is among this year’s Excellence in Science award recipients who are carrying forward FASEB’s rich history of honoring female scientists who are creating an impact in the biological and biomedical research community. She embodies the most desirable qualities in a researcher and teacher. It is a privilege to honor Dr. Jaffe for her contributions to the scientific community,” says Kevin C. Kregel, PhD, Executive Vice President and Provost at the University of Iowa and FASEB President.
Recognition Beyond the Lab
Jaffe is a devoted educator and mentor and has been recognized numerous times for her excellent teaching in the clinical setting and the laboratory. She has spoken at almost every major meeting in pathology, hematology, and oncology. She consistently publishes with trainees as the first author of her manuscripts. Jaffe provides guidance to these trainees on how to perform clinical research and how high of a bar is required to publish meaningful results. Many of her trainees now hold major leadership positions throughout the world and her mentoring played a critical role in the development of each of them. In 2001, she won NCI’s Outstanding Mentor Award and in 2008 she received the Chugai Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Scholarship from the American Society for Investigative Pathology, a FASEB member society of which she is a member.
Says one of her trainees, “She demonstrated tenacity and perseverance in her own work, demonstrating the work ethic and focus required to attain mastery of a disciple, and she mentored me with kindness, optimism, and patience. Her regular presence during the evenings and weekends, down the hall from the laboratory I was working in, revealed the faithful focus required for a clinician/scientist.”
Excellence in Science Awards Program
Jaffe is one of three recipients in the 2023 Excellence in Science Awards program:
- Mid-career Investigator Award: Paola Arlotta, PhD, Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University
- Early-career Investigator Award: Diana Libuda, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Oregon Institute of Molecular Biology
As the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Jaffe will present a lecture at the annual meeting of a FASEB member society of her choice. She will receive the award in conjunction with her lecture.
More information on FASEB Excellence in Science Awards can be found here.
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About FASEB
FASEB is comprised of 27 scientific member societies with 115,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. FASEB’s mission is to advance health and well-being by promoting research and education in biological and biomedical sciences through collaborative advocacy and service to member societies and their members.
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