Andrew Futreal receives Jack and Beverly Randall Prize

MD Anderson News Release February 26, 2015

$100,000 cash prize recognizes Futreal’s pioneering accomplishments in cancer genomics

MD Anderson News Release 02/26/2015

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has awarded Andrew Futreal, Ph.D., professor of Genomic Medicine, the inaugural Jack and Beverly Randall Prize for Excellence in Cancer Research. Futreal is recognized internationally as a pioneer in large-scale systematic cancer genomics, which led to the identification of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast/ovarian cancer susceptibility genes, BRAF mutations in melanoma, ERBB2 mutations in non-small cell lung cancer and multiple new cancer genes in renal cell carcinoma. 

Beverly Randall, Andrew Futreal, Ph.D., Jacki Randall and Jack Randall

The $100,000 cash prize, presented Feb. 23 at the President’s Recognition for Faculty Excellence award ceremony at MD Anderson, will be awarded to a distinguished faculty member at MD Anderson, with the focus alternating between innovations in cancer research and excellence in patient care.  Longtime MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors member Jack Randall and his wife, Beverly, recently established the prize through a $1 million endowment.

“It’s particularly meaningful to be recognized for ideas that pushed at the edges of current approaches,” said Futreal. “The idea of alternating the award between researchers and clinicians is exceptional because that’s the way MD Anderson works. It’s very much a partnership. It takes both clinicians and researchers to push things forward.”

Futreal is co-leader of MD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program, an aggressive effort launched in 2012 to significantly reduce cancer deaths and transform care.

Prior to joining MD Anderson in 2012, he was co-director of the Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the United Kingdom. Futreal holds the Robert A. Welch Distinguished University Chair at MD Anderson and has published articles in more than 180 peer-reviewed journals.

Making Cancer History®

The Randalls established the cash prize to encourage innovative ideas and the type of novel thinking necessary to successfully treat and eliminate cancer. The prize honors researchers or clinicians who demonstrate uncommon foresight, ingenuity and dedication to excellence in cancer care. It will be given to an MD Anderson faculty member who exemplifies excellence and innovation.

“MD Anderson consistently brings new, more effective drugs and therapies to patients with cancer and we believe it’s important to build on this history of achievement,” said Beverly Randall. “We hope this prize will ensure that tomorrow’s leaders have the support they need.”

“As unprecedented cancer knowledge and progress-enabling technologies support increasingly bigger and better ideas, an end to cancer seems more clearly in sight,” said Jack Randall. “We believe that recognizing those who seize and grow this potential will accelerate cancer’s defeat and inspire breakthrough innovation in others who are dedicated to Making Cancer History.®”