2009 Award Winners

Spring Gala Award Winners: Researching for a Cure

KOH presents several awards each year at their annual Spring Gala. In 2009, board members presented $200,000 worth of grants and awards.

The Young Investigator Award
Maureen Phair, former KOH vice president, presented the Young Investigator Award to Selvendiran Karuppaiyah, PhD, a Research Scientist from Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute at The Ohio State University for his continuing research into safe, targeted antitumor therapeutics (STAT3 inhibitors) for ovarian cancer.

General Award
Carole Fagella, current KOH Secretary, presented an award to Janet A. Sawicki, PhD, Professor and Principal Investigator at Lankenau Institute for Medical Research in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. The grant will help support development of a new therapy for advanced ovarian cancer based on a reduction in the amount of a protein called claudin-3 found at abnormally high levels in 90% of ovarian tumors.

The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF) / Gail MacNeil Kaleidoscope of Hope Research Grant for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer
GCF is the foundation of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists whose mission is to ensure public awareness of gynecologic cancer prevention, early diagnosis and optimal treatment. In addition, the Foundation supports research and training related to gynecologic cancers. GCF advances this mission by increasing public and private funds that aid in the development and implementation of programs to meet these goals.

Rebecca Stone, MD, from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, was awarded the 2009-2010 GFC/Gail MacNeil KOH Research Grant for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer for her project called “Unplugging Ovarian Cancer from the Power of Platelets.

The Gail MacNeil Scholar Award
Former KOH President Marc Boisclair presented the first Gail MacNeil Scholar Award to The Cancer Institute of NJ ( CINJ and Allison Wagreich, MD, She joined CINJ in the summer of 2009 to conduct research and care for ovarian cancer patients. Lorna Rodriguez, MD, PhD, Chief of Gynecologic Oncology, and Darlene Gibbon, MD, Clinical Director, Gynecologic Oncology at CINJ, together with Paula Hunchar, Executive Director of Development at the CINJ Foundation, were also commended for their ongoing commitment to KOH. 

The Founders’ Award
Steven W. Papish, MD, medical director of Hematology-Oncology Associates of Northern New Jersey (HOANNJ), accepted the Founders’ Award on behalf of the 12-physician multidisciplinary practice that specializes in the care of patients with cancer and blood disorders.  HOANNJ has offices in the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital, Morristown, N.J., and the Saint Clare’s Center at Parsippany Commons, Parsippany, N.J.

“It truly takes a village to care for cancer patients, and HOANNJ is a small village,” Dr. Papish said as he introduced the practice’s physicians, nurse practitioners, oncology nurses, and staff. Citing a quote on his office wall, he said, “Doctors must learn to distinguish a disease in a textbook from an illness that patients go through. We focus on the individual patients.”