Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance Awards Two Prizes Recognizing Exceptional Researchers
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA), the world’s largest ovarian cancer charity, announced today the 2023 winners of the Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research and the Schreiber Research Prize for Outstanding Mentored Investigators. One recipient is being recognized for her noteworthy leadership in the field, which includes seminal work in novel therapeutics as well as mentorship to dozens of other researchers. The other winner is being recognized for the impact of her OCRA-funded research in helping to move treatment approaches forward for ovarian cancers that involve genetic mutations. The recipients were chosen by a panel comprised of various members of OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee.
“OCRA is pleased to acknowledge the accomplishments of these two dedicated scientists, whose groundbreaking work has contributed to moving the field of ovarian cancer research forward,” said Audra Moran, President and CEO of OCRA.
Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research
The 2023 recipient of the Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research is Kathleen N. Moore, MD, MS, of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Dr. Moore is being recognized for her remarkable leadership. She has not only been at the vanguard of novel therapeutic development that has impacted the standard of care for ovarian cancer patients but has also mentored dozens of clinical and translational investigators who have gone on to advance research through notable accomplishments of their own. She has also contributed extensively to the field as an author, with her work appearing in more than 400 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Moore is the Virginia Kerley Cade Endowed Chair in Cancer Developmental Therapeutics and Professor of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She also serves as the Associate Director of Clinical Research and Deputy Director of OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center.
The Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research is a $10,000 annual prize in recognition of contributions to basic science, translational, or clinical research in ovarian cancer. It is named for Dr. Rosalind Franklin, a pioneering molecular biologist who played a vital role in discovering the structure of DNA before her death of ovarian cancer at age 37.
Schreiber Research Prize for Outstanding Mentored Investigators
The 2023 winner of the Schreiber Research Prize for Outstanding Mentored Investigators is Priyanka Verma, PhD, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Verma is being acknowledged for the contributions she has made through her OCRA-funded research in helping to advance innovative treatment approaches for ovarian cancers involving mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
Dr. Verma’s independent lab integrates several cutting-edge genomics and molecular biology tools to study DNA replication and repair mechanisms. The goal of this research is to develop innovative strategies to prevent, diagnose and treat high-grade serous ovarian cancers.
The Schreiber Research Prize for Outstanding Mentored Investigators is a $5,000 biennial prize presented to a junior researcher who best demonstrates that they have used prior OCRA funding to significantly impact the field of ovarian cancer research. Only past recipients of OCRA’s Mentored Investigator Grant are eligible to qualify. This prize is named in honor of Ann and Sol Schreiber. Sol founded Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (now Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance) in memory of his wife, Ann, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 1994.