Honorees

 

 

This year’s gala recognized two outstanding individuals whose work has significantly contributed to improving the quality of life of anyone who is touched by cancer. Dr. Sol J. Barer, Chairman and CEO of Celgene Corporation, accepted the Corporate Vision Award and Dr. Savio L.C. Woo, Professor and Chairman, Department of Gene and Cell Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, accepted the Advancement of Cancer Research Award.

 

 

 

Sol J. Barer, Ph.D., was elected Chairman of the Board of Celgene Corporation in December of 2006, and has been the Chief Executive Officer of the company since May 1, 2006 . Dr. Barer has been a board member since March 1994 as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. Dr. Barer served as President from October 1993 to May 1, 2006 , and our Chief Operating Officer from March 1994 to May 1, 2006 . Dr. Barer was Senior Vice President - Science and Technology and Vice President/General Manager - Chiral Products from October 1990 to October 1993 and our Vice President - Technology from September 1987 to October 1990. Dr. Barer received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Rutgers . Dr. Barer is on the Board of Directors of PhRMA, is on the Board of Trustees of Rutgers University, serves on the Board of Trustees of the Biotechnology Council of New Jersey and is on the Board of the Brooklyn College Foundation.

     
 
Dr. Woo is Professor and Founding Chairman of the Department of Gene and Cell Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (1996-). His pioneering work on human molecular genetics and gene therapy for inherited disorders is internationally recognized. He is also an authority in the field of cancer gene therapy and his preclinical investigation on active genetic immunization against breast and colon cancer and oncolytic virotherapy for liver cancer has led to the development of novel therapeutic agents and federally-funded clinical translational trials in the respective disease areas that are being conducted at Mount Sinai. Dr. Woo received his Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry from the University of Washington at Seattle in 1971, and post-doctoral training at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He joined the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in 1973 and became Professor of Cell Biology and Human Genetics in 1984, the founding Director of the Baylor Center for Gene Therapy (1990-1996) and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (1980-1996). Dr. Woo served on the Board of Scientific Councilors at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1988-1994), and the Board of Directors of the American Society for Human Genetics (1994-1997). He also served on the Board of Directors (1997-1999) and as President (1999-2000) of the American Society for Gene Therapy (1997-1999). He was also the founding Director of a Comprehensive Review Course on Clinical Gene Transfer (2000-2003) to facilitate translational research in the field nation-wide, which was co-sponsored by the FDA, NIH and OHRP. He is currently serving as Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (2000-present) and on the Board of Directors of the International Society for Cancer Gene Therapy (2006-2009). He also served as Secretary of the Harvey Society of New York (1998-2002) and as a member of the Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee of the US Food and Drug Administration (2006-2010).