The Friend of SARC award is given to an individual or group that has contributed to the development of SARC or the advancement of sarcoma research. 

 

 

Friend of SARC Recipient 2008: Kapil Dhingra, MBBS

 

Kapil Dhingra, MBBS has been a friend and colleague to many SARC investigators and very importantly has been integral to the development of SARC’s global collaboration with Roche on several sarcoma studies exploring Roche’s IGF-1R inhibitor, R1507.  Until his recent retirement, Dr. Dhingra served as the Head of the Oncology Global Drug Development Group at Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc., working to develop novel therapies for cancer patients, with a particular focus on translating laboratory discoveries into improved treatments for patients.

 

He graduated from All-India Institute of Medical Sciences and has been a practicing clinician for 23 years.  Dr. Dhingra, until his recent retirement, was faculty in the department of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Medical Oncology at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.  He interests have been in the management and care of patients with breast cancer, as well as targeted therapies.

 

Dr. Dhingra, through his efforts to collaborate with SARC, has contributed to the advancement of sarcoma research as well as the growth and development of SARC. For this, we are pleased to recognize Dr. Dhingra as the 2008 Friend of SARC.

 

 

Friend of SARC Award History

 

Gene Rosenfeld (2007 Recipient)

 

Gene Rosenfeld was honored as the recipient of the Friend of SARC award for his philanthropic commitment to SARC.  SARC’s mission is dear to the Mr. Rosenfeld heart, as he was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma in 2005.  One of SARC’s investigators, Dr. Sant Chawla (of the Sarcoma Oncology Center in Santa Monica, CA), directed his treatment and care.  Today Mr. Rosenfeld is cancer-free.

 

SARC was honored to recognize him as 2007’s Friend of SARC and privileged that he has chosen SARC as the organization to help in his quest to eliminate sarcoma. 

 

 

Kyle Wathen, PhD (2006 Recipient)

 

Kyle Wathen, PhD, of the division of Quantitative sciences at MD Anderson in Houston, TX, was the recipient of the Friend of SARC award in 2006.  Dr. Wathen has been one of SARC’s biostatisticians for several years and while doing so has significantly improved the methodology for statistical design and analysis.  More specifically, he is responsible for the development of adaptive Bayesian clinical trial designs.  He is responsible for creating a method to integrate this design into electronic data capture systems.  Dr. Wathen has given presentations showing how to integrate Bayesian designs in practice, using SARC001 and SARC002 as a platform. 

 

SARC has significantly benefited from his innovative thesis, and express our gratitude by awarding Dr. Wathen as 2006’s Friend of SARC award.  We also are appreciative for his continued work with SARC.

 

 

Professor Allan Van Oosterom (2005 Recipient)

 

In 2005, SARC honored Professor Allan van Oosterom with the Friend of SARC award for his major involvement in new advancements of sarcoma treatment, through the development of targeted therapy and implementation of translational research into clinical studies.

 

Throughout his career, he has actively participated in many sarcoma research trials organized by the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), with particular focus on therapies targeting signal transduction pathways in sarcoma subtypes like GIST. 

He contributed to the founding of the Sarcoma Group within the EORTC in 1976, aiming to improve standards for care of sarcoma patients in Europe through international, multidisciplinary, translational studies.

 

He has spent the majority of his professional career making advancements in sarcoma research by developing and implementing more efficient investigative methods for the discovery of new therapies.  This commitment and success made him a prime candidate to receive the Friend of SARC award in 2005

 

 

Matt Ros (2004 Recipient)

 

Matt Ros, the former Director, Oncology Franchise Planning and Development at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS), was the first recipient of the Friend of SARC award in 2004. The friend of SARC award was given to recognize him for his enormous contribution to the development of SARC.   Mr. Ros, in association with BMS, provided the seed money at SARC’s very beginning, when this consortium was merely a concept.

 

SARC is indebted to him for his generous commitment.  Mr. Ros and BMS are truly friends of SARC.  This organization would not be possible without their contribution.