Thomas Kelly Shares $250,000 Award For Recent Contribution to Cancer Research
General Motors Recognizes World's Foremost Cancer Researchers at the GM Cancer Research Foundation Awards
June 7, 2004
DETROIT - Dr. Thomas Kelly, director, Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York, has been awarded the Alfred P. Sloan, Jr. Prize, one of three awards given annually by the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation (GMCRF). The Sloan Prize recognizes the most outstanding recent contribution in basic science related to cancer research. Along with the Kettering Prize and Mott Prize, also awarded by the GMCRF, this high honor has been bestowed on a select number of the world's top scientists, 12 of whom have subsequently won Nobel Prizes.
Kelly, along with co-winner Bruce Stillman, president and CEO, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., was cited for his major contributions to our understanding of the biochemistry and regulation of DNA replication in cells with a nucleus (eukaryotes), which include human cells.
"Today, the opportunities to make advances in cancer research have never been more promising," Kelly said. "The genetic tools that have been developed in the last 20 years have put us in a spectacular position to make advances on a basic level as well as in clinical applications."
Kelly's work has had a profound impact in the field of cancer research. In the late 1970s and 1980s, he was the first to establish cell-free systems for in vitro replication of DNA in extracts derived from human cells. The development of these systems made it possible to study the molecular machinery that duplicates the human genome.
The significance of Kelly's discoveries is that they provided a first look into how DNA replication works in humans. Prior to these achievements, most of the research on DNA replication had been performed on bacteria.
"Cancer is a genetic disease, characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells, so if we understand the mechanisms that control DNA replication, we may be able to develop new drugs that target key aspects of the replication machinery," Kelly said.
"I feel very honored to receive the Sloan Prize and share it with Bruce Stillman," Kelly added. "It's wonderful to realize that your work over the years is appreciated by your peers and colleagues."
A native of Birmingham, Ala., Kelly earned a bachelor's degree from The Johns Hopkins University. He also earned his M.D. and Ph.D. (biophysics) at Johns Hopkins. Kelly is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Samuel A. Wells, Jr., president of the GMCRF, called Kelly an exemplary scientist and a worthy recipient of the Sloan Prize. "Tom was chosen through a rigorous process conducted by a panel of prestigious international scientists,"he said.
GM has made cancer research a key philanthropic priority, and this year marks the 26th anniversary of the GMCRF Awards. GM has given more than $50 million to the cause, and is committed to helping eradicate cancer by supporting cancer research until the battle is won.
"Cancer research is crucial because the effects of the disease are so far-reaching," said GMCRF Chairman Harry J. Pearce. Pearce, a cancer survivor, has indicated on many occasions that he credits cancer research with saving his life. "Over 10,600 GM employees, retirees and their family members were treated for cancer in the past year alone."
As part of the commitment to cancer research, the automaker established the GMCRF in 1978 to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of basic scientists and clinical scientists in cancer research around the world.
The Sloan Prize, among the most prestigious in the field of medicine, is one of three awards GM announces annually. Kelly will share $250,000 with Stillman and each will receive a gold medallion. To date, GMCRF has awarded nearly $14 million to 105 scientists in an effort to focus worldwide scientific and public attention on cancer research.
The other 2004 GM Cancer Research Award winners are: Robert Langer, professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. (Charles F. Kettering Prize); and Dr. Charles J. Sherr, Herrick Foundation chair of Genetics and Tumor Cell Biology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. (Charles S. Mott Prize). The Kettering Prize recognizes the most outstanding recent contribution to the diagnosis or treatment of cancer. The Mott Prize is given for the most outstanding recent contribution related to the cause or prevention of cancer.
"Through these awards, GM supports some of the world's most gifted scientists, who have made highly important discoveries leading to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer," Wells said. "Research is the basis for all cancer breakthroughs, and we must do everything we can to support and nurture that spirit of discovery."
The GMCRF Annual Scientific Conference, held at the National Institutes of Health on June 8 and 9, focused on "Genome Integrity and Cancer" and included a lecture by Kelly describing his research. GM presented the prizes to the laureates during an awards ceremony at the U.S. Department of State on the evening of June 9.
About MemorialSloan-KetteringCancerResearchCenter
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is the world's oldest and largest institution devoted to prevention, patient care, research and education in cancer. Its scientists and clinicians generate innovative approaches to better understand, diagnose and treat cancer. Sloan-Kettering's specialists are leaders in biomedical research and in translating the latest research to advance the standard of cancer care worldwide.
About General Motors
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, employs about 325,000 people globally. Founded in 1908, GM has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 192 countries. In 2003, GM sold nearly 8.6 million cars and trucks, about 15 percent of the global vehicle market. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM and its products can be found on the company's corporate website at www.gm.com.
