Tyler E. Jacks, director of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, has been named president-elect of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the world's largest scientific organization dedicated to preventing and curing the deadly disease.
Jacks, also the David H. Koch Professor of Biology at MIT and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, will take over the position on Monday, April 14, at the AACR Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Jacks' research interests are in the genetic events that contribute to the development of cancer. His laboratory has engineered a series of novel, mutant mouse strains that accurately mimic human cancer and thus serve as animal models for exploring the cellular pathways regulated by cancer-associated genes.
"We are experiencing an unprecedented and truly remarkable pace of discovery in cancer research today," Jacks said. "As the leading cancer research organization in the world, the AACR plays a vital role in promoting the flow of information from these discoveries between scientists and clinicians which ultimately impacts on the lives of people with cancer."
Jacks has served in several leadership positions for the AACR, including the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee. He serves on the editorial board of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and was a senior editor of Molecular Cancer Research. Jacks has co-chaired several AACR Special Conferences, was a co-chair of the 2003 AACR Annual Meeting and served as faculty for the "Molecular Biology in Oncology" Educational Workshop. Jacks has also received several awards recognizing his scientific accomplishments, including the AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on April 16, 2008 (download PDF).
