Newswise — NEW YORK CITY, June 15, 2020 — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) announces the following awards and appointments:

Design and Construction of David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Recognized by Industry Leaders

The David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center has been recognized by a number of industry leaders for its innovative and resilient design, some of the many features that put the 750,000 square foot facility in a class of its own. In May 2020, the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care was recognized by the NYCxDESIGN Award, presented by Interior Design and ICFF. These awards honor outstanding products and projects in categories that span major areas of design, from architecture to interiors, from products to accessories. The facility also received the prestigious Award of Merit, the highest honor, in the 2020 Healthcare Design Annual Design Showcase.

Michael Postow Is Named Chief of the Melanoma Service

​Michael Postow was recently appointed as MSK's newest Chief of the Melanoma Service in the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology. He assumed his new role on May 24. As Chief of the Melanoma Service, he will oversee the ongoing strategic goals of the Melanoma Service to expand the clinical and research programs and activities in melanoma.

Dennis Hsu Receives Damon Runyon Physician-Scientist Training Award

Dennis J. Hsu, MD, Special Fellow in the Department of Medicine, with mentor Sohail F. Tavazoie, MD, PhD, at MSK and the Rockefeller University, received the Physician-Scientist Training Award from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

Dr. Hsu is one of five physician-scientists who received the award and will split grants totaling $2.3 million to pursue cancer research. Recipients of this award are brilliant young doctors showing bold initiative and a commitment to finding new cures for cancer. 

Dr. Hsu recently found that certain starvation conditions can cause some tRNAs to be modulated in colorectal cancer cells. He will study the changes in tRNA levels that occur in response to cellular starvation states. He aims to shed light on how cancer cells adapt to starvation, which potentially can lead to new therapeutic approaches to target metabolic dependencies in cancer. 

Triparna Sen Is Named Recipient of 2020 Lung Cancer Foundation of America-Bristol-Myers Squibb/International Lung Cancer (LCFA-BMS/ILC) Foundation Young Investigator Research Award in Translational Immuno-oncology

Triparna Sen, PhD, Assistant Attending in the Thoracic Oncology Service and Lab Co-Director in Charles Rudin's lab, was named a recipient of the 2020 LCFA-BMS/ILC Foundation Young Investigator Research Award in Translational Immuno-oncology for her project entitled “Targeting epigenetic modifiers to reactivate anti-tumor immune response in small cell lung cancer".

Dr. Sen is one of the two recipients and will receive $200,000. The award amount will be $100,000 per year in direct costs, for up to two years. The funding will begin in July 2020.

Veronica McLymont and Tatanisha Peets Receive 2020 Top Women in Metro New York Foodservice & Hospitality Recognition Award

Veronica McLymont, PhD, RD, CDN, Director of Food and Nutrition Services, and Tatanisha Peets, MPH, RD, CDN, Manager of Patient Experience, Food and Nutrition Services, received 2020 Top Women in Metro New York Foodservice & Hospitality recognition awards from Total Food Service News, a monthly news publication and digital news site that covers all aspects of the Metro New York food service industry.

Tomya Watt Is Named to 2020 Crain’s New York Business Notable Women in Talent Resources List

Tomya Watt, Vice President of Talent Acquisition and Mobility and Chief Diversity Officer, was named to the 2020 Crain's New York Business Notable Women in Talent Resources List. She is one of 62 recipients on this list who were selected for their accomplishments, mentorship skills, and community involvement.

Valeria Silva Merea Is Named Director of the Speech and Hearing Center at the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Valeria Silva Merea, MD, a surgeon who specializes in caring for people with early laryngeal cancer, and voice, airway, and swallowing disorders, was named Director of the Speech and Hearing Center at Memorial Hospital and the David H. Koch Center for Cancer Care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In her new role, which she assumed in January 2020, she will continue to expand the scope and depth of the clinical services and MSK’s research program for patients with the full spectrum of speech, voice, airway, swallowing, and hearing disorders.

Erica Fischer-Cartlidge Appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists

Erica Fischer-Cartlidge, DNP, CNS, CBCN, AOCNS, Nurse Leader of Evidence-based Practice and coordinator for a team of 45 Clinical Nurse Specialists at MSK, was appointed to the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Board of Directors at its 25th Annual Conference on March 12, 2020.

Janice Reid Receives New York Black Nurses Association’s 2020 Community Service Award

Janice Reid, MA, RN, NPD-BC, OCN, Nursing Professional Development Specialist, received the 2020 Community Service Award from the Caribbean American Nurses Association at the 32nd National Black Nurses Day Celebration held at New York University Langone Orthopedic Hospital on February 28.

Mark Klang Is Named 2020 Fellow of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition’s Program

Mark Klang, PhD, Core Manager in Research Pharmacy at SKI and leader of the Pharmaceutical Product Service, was named a fellow of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition's (ASPEN) 2020 ASPEN Fellowship program. 

This designation honors individuals with exceptional achievement in education, practice, research, and service to ASPEN and the field of clinical nutrition. Dr. Klang was recognized at ASPEN for his work on drug-nutrient interactions at MSK.

Beryl McCormick Receives 2020 Peter Pressman Award

Beryl McCormick, MD, FACR, Attending Physician in Radiation Oncology, received the 2020 Pressman Award from the New York Metropolitan Breast Cancer Group at the organization's 47th Annual Winter Meeting on February 1. 

Dr. McCormick was recognized for her contributions to the field of breast cancer clinical research and her work on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Breast Committee, as well as with the nonprofit research organization NRG Oncology, which brings together the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, and the Gynecologic Oncology Group.  

Urvi Shah Receives Celgene 2019 Future Leader Award for Clinical Research in Hematology

Urvi Shah, MD, Assistant Attending in MSK's Myeloma Service in the Division of Hematologic Malignancies, received the 2019 Future Leader Award for Clinical Research in Hematology from Celgene Corporation.

Dr. Shah was nominated for this award by Alexander Lesokhin, MD, Assistant Attending who specializes in multiple myeloma. Dr. Shah received this award in recognition of her clinical and translational research into plasma cell disorders.

Matthew Bott and Tuomas Tammela Receive 2019 Young Innovators Team Awards from GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer

Matthew Bott, MD, a surgeon-scientist who specializes in treating cancers of the chest at MSK, ​and Tuomas Tammela, MD, PhD, Assistant Member at SKI and cancer biologist, received the 2019 Young Innovators Team awards from the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer for their proposal, which will focus on age-related determinants of initiation, progression and immunotherapy response in non-small cell lung cancer.

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About Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK):

As the world’s oldest and largest private cancer center, Memorial Sloan Kettering has devoted more than 135 years to exceptional patient care, influential educational programs and innovative research to discover more effective strategies to prevent, control and, ultimately, cure cancer. MSK is home to more than 20,000 physicians, scientists, nurses and staff united by a relentless dedication to conquering cancer. Today, we are one of 51 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, with state-of-the-art science and technology supporting groundbreaking clinical studies, personalized treatment, and compassionate care for our patients. We also train the next generation of clinical and scientific leaders in oncology through our continually evolving educational programs, here and around the world. Year after year, we are ranked among the top two cancer hospitals in the country, consistently recognized for our expertise in adult and pediatric oncology specialties. www.mskcc.org.