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"I'm honored to have your respect," says Eugenie Kleinerman, M.D., osteosarcoma trailblazer, at symposium in her honor
Leaders in the field of osteosarcoma research, medical oncology and surgery gathered in March to celebrate the impact of Eugenie Kleinerman, M.D., professor of Pediatrics at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital.
The Eugenie Kleinerman, M.D., Research Symposium, held March 7, 2025, brought together 11 speakers who shared information about their research, medical and surgical paths after working with or being mentored by Kleinerman during her 40 years at MD Anderson. The daylong event took place at the beautiful TMC3 Collaborative Building, where many experts in the Texas Medical Center meet to share ideas, inspire the next generation, and seek collaborators for projects that will impact healthcare around the world.
An internationally recognized trailblazer in sarcoma research, particularly osteosarcoma, Kleinerman pioneered a groundbreaking treatment approach for young people battling osteosarcoma lung metastases—taking her hypothesis from an idea to the lab and into multiple clinical trials, ultimately leading to regulatory approval in European countries, as well as Mexico, South America, Turkey, China and Korea.
The photo shows Kleinerman with Kurt Weiss, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Division of Musculoskeletal Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). He participated in Kleinerman's trial as a teen osteosarcoma lung metastases patient and now works at UPMC as a sarcoma orthopaedic oncologist and researcher. He also is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers Pro-Football Team, whose fans proudly wave their signature “Terrible Towels” during game time.
Kleinerman said that she was struggling to prepare her “thank-you” remarks the weekend before the event, so she watched the Academy Award acceptance speeches for inspiration. “These were of no help,” she commented. Continuing to struggle with putting her thoughts about the occasion into words, she tried using ChatGPT for help on the recommendation of her son Andrew. “He said to just tell it all the things you want to say, all the topics you want to cover, and the emotions you want to express, and if you don’t like it, tell ChatGPT to make it more heartfelt," she joked. That was not productive either. Kleinerman said she finally realized that words couldn’t adequately communicate her feelings. “I'm overwhelmed, so I will make a word salad for how I'm feeling: Gratitude, Humility, Exhilaration, Pride, Surprise, Elation, Lucky, and Shocked.”
Kleinerman added, "Never did I anticipate being honored with a symposium, having colleagues and former students take time out of their busy lives to travel to honor me. I am blown away and grateful to all of you. I feel privileged that my life’s work is being recognized by my peers—and more than anything else, I’m honored to have your respect."
St. Jude Leader in Leukemia Research and Protocols Gave Sutow Lecture
We were honored Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 to host the W. W. Sutow Visiting Lecturer in Pediatric Oncology-- Ching-Hon Pui, M.D.
He is a co-leader of the Hematological Malignancies Program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee; director of the China Program at St. Jude Global; and an American Cancer Society Professor.
Pui's talk was titled, "Refining precision therapies for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemias." His talk honored Dr. Wataru W. Sutow's legacy in pediatric oncology and covered advances in targeted therapies, risk-adapted treatment strategies, and efforts to reduce long-term side effects.
Pui also highlighted ongoing research, building on Dr. Sutow's pioneering contributions and discussed international collaborations to improve pediatric cancer care globally.
About Dr. Sutow: This gentle, soft-spoken man combined a great compassion for human suffering with an unshakable commitment to scientific principles. His work helped establish the discipline of pediatric oncology. In doing so, he helped bring about a fundamental change in our approach to cancer treatment. By advocating chemotherapy as a viable alternative to radiation therapy and surgery, he produced some of the most dramatic results ever achieved in pediatric oncology.
Karen Moody receives the 2024 Jack and Beverly Randall Prize for Excellence in Cancer Care Award
In August 2024, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center recognized over 100 faculty members at its annual Celebration of Faculty Excellence awards ceremony, acknowledging the compassionate care, exceptional contributions to their fields and the distinction these faculty members have brought to the institution.
The highest honor, the Jack and Beverly Randall Prize for Excellence in Cancer Research, was awarded to Karen Moody, M.D., professor, Pediatrics and Palliative, Rehabilitation & Integrative Medicine. She treats some of MD Anderson’s youngest patients, striving to make their cancer experience more positive. Moody and her colleagues developed a conversation guide and visual aids to help pediatric oncologists and nurses discuss treatment options and goals with parents of children facing a poor prognosis.
The award was created in 2011 by the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors (BOV) member Jack Randall and his wife, Beverly. The Jack and Beverly Randall Prize for Excellence in Cancer Research fosters innovative thinking and groundbreaking ideas in cancer research and care. This $100,000 award honors
researchers and clinicians who demonstrate extraordinary foresight, ingenuity
and a commitment to excellence. The prize alternates annually between
supporting researchers and clinicians.
American Society of Clinical Oncology Recognizes Pediatrics Division Head for Body of Research in Childhood Cancer
In appreciation and observation of his impactful clinical and translational research in the field of pediatric oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology presented Richard Gorlick, M.D., division head and chair of Pediatrics and chair ad interim of Sarcoma Medical Oncology, with its Pediatric Oncology Award at the organization's 2024 Annual Meeting.
Gorlick is recognized for his dedication to advancing targeted therapies for childhood cancers and furthering the global study of osteosarcoma. Having published more than 325 peer-reviewed publications, he is best known for identifying the basis of resistance to antifolates in acute lymphocytic leukemia and osteosarcoma and for developing a national tissue resource for osteosarcoma in his role as director of the Pediatric Sarcoma Research Laboratory, previously known as the Bone Tumor Resource Laboratory.
The Gorlick Laboratory currently is focusing on antibody-drug conjugates as a means for rapid drug development in osteosarcoma, potentially also serving as a paradigm for other rare tumors. His clinical and researcher expertise has translated into multiple clinical trials conducted at MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Children’s Oncology Group and more. Fulfilling a longstanding vision at MD Anderson, he and colleagues established the institution’s Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program in 2018, which now sees over 1,000 new patients each year. He serves as the current chair of CPRIT’s Advisory Committee on Childhood Cancers.