Distinguished Scientist Award

Recognizing Scientific Excellence

The AACI Distinguished Scientist Award was created in 2002 to recognize a major contributor to the field of cancer research. 

Selected by the AACI Board of Directors, the awardee should be widely known in the cancer community through their research accomplishments. 

Recent past awardees include Drs. William G. Kaelin, Jr., Douglas R. Lowy, Charles Perou, Carl June, James Allison, and Lewis Cantley.

2022 Recipient Spotlight

Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD
Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD

Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, is the deputy director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University. A world leader in understanding the complex interaction between the immune system and pancreatic cancer, she led the direct translational development of a first-generation granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-secreting allogeneic vaccine platform that has served as a human model for studying anticancer immunity. Her ongoing work integrates new and emerging technologies to uncover the complex signaling pathways that exist between tumor cells, monocytes, and stromal cells in pancreatic cancer, and novel methods to bypass these signals to effect potent antitumor immune responses

Dr. Jaffee was appointed by President Obama to serve on the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB). While chair of the NCAB, she served as one of three co-chairs of the Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel, which established priorities for National Cancer Institute (NCI) spending on new research. She continues to work with the Biden administration as a member of the President’s Cancer Panel. Dr. Jaffee also established the new Cancer Convergence Institute at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, where experts from diverse fields such as engineering, bioinformatics, physics, and mathematics work with doctors and nurses to apply their knowledge to cancer.

Dr. Jaffee will deliver a keynote presentation on her research at 11:15 am central time on October 3, preceding the award presentation.

  • Only members of the AACI Board of Directors are eligible to submit a nominee 
  • Eligible nominees will be considered based on satisfactory completion of the nomination form, which should include a detailed description of how the nominee has made an enduring impact on the progress of cancer research or patient care

The AACI Distinguished Scientist Award will be presented during the 2022 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting.

The awardee will be invited to deliver a keynote presentation to meeting attendees. In the event that there is no nomination or no nominee meets the award criteria, no award will be made for that cycle. 

Spring 2023
Nomination forms due

Spring 2023

Nominations reviewed


Summer 2023

Honoreee notified of selection

August 2023

Honoree announced in AACI Update

October 2023

Award presented during the 2023 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting

Please note: all dates are subject to change.