Honorees

 

 

This year’s gala will recognize two outstanding individuals whose work has significantly contributed to improving the quality of life of anyone who is touched by cancer. Elliott Sigal, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and President, Research and Development; Bristol-Myers Squibb will accept the Corporate Vision Award and Andrew J. Dannenberg, M.D., Henry R. Erle, MD – Roberts Family Professor of Medicine; Director of Weill Cornell Cancer Center.

 

 


Elliott Sigal

 

Corporate Vision Award

 

Elliott Sigal, M.D., Ph.D., was named Chief Scientific Officer and President of R&D in 2004. Dr. Sigal was appointed executive vice president of Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2006. He is a member of the company’s Senior Management Team. Prior to his most recent appointment, Dr. Sigal served as Senior Vice President of Global
Clinical and Pharmaceutical Development and Co-chair of the Brand Development Operating Committee.


Under his leadership, ten new medicines have come to market: Abilify (Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder), Reyataz (HIV/AIDS), Erbitux (Colon Cancer), Baraclude (Hepatitis B), EMSAM (Depression), Orencia (Rheumatoid Arthritis), Sprycel (Leukemia), Atripla (HIV/AIDS), Ixempra (Breast Cancer) and Onglyza (Diabetes).


Dr. Sigal joined Bristol-Myers Squibb in 1997 as Vice President of the newly created department of Applied Genomics. In 1999, he became Senior Vice President for Early Discovery and Applied Technology. He was named Head of Drug Discovery & Exploratory Development in 2001.


Dr. Sigal has more than 25 years of combined experience in medicine, research and management. In 1992 he joined the pharmaceutical company Syntex and held positions of increasing responsibility in drug discovery. In 1995 Dr. Sigal joined the genomics firm Mercator Genetics as Vice President of Research and Development and later served as CEO. While there he provided the research leadership that resulted in the discovery of the gene for hemochromatosis, a common disorder that leads to iron overload, diabetes and liver disease.


Dr. Sigal received his M.D. from the University of Chicago in 1981 and trained in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He received his research training at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at UCSF. Sigal served on the faculty of the UCSF Department of Medicine from 1988 to 1992. Prior to medical school he studied engineering and management at Purdue University, where he received a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D.

    

 

 

 

 

Andrew J. Dannenberg

 

Advancement of Cancer Research Award

 

Andrew J. Dannenberg, MD is Director of the Weill Cornell Cancer Center.  He is also the Henry R. Erle, MD-Roberts Family Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.  Dr. Dannenberg received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis and served as a medical resident and fellow at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.  His laboratory is focused on elucidating the mechanisms underlying the inflammation-cancer connection with an emphasis on prostaglandin biology.  This work is highly relevant to developing strategies to prevent cancer. 

 

Dr. Dannenberg has authored more than 150 scientific articles, as well as edited several books and journals.  He is a member of the Association of American Physicians (AAP), the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), and the American Association for Cancer Research.  He has served as Chairman of the Scientific Program Committee of the  American Association for Cancer Research “Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research” meeting and serves on the editorial boards of several journals including Cancer Prevention Research, Clinical Cancer Research and Journal of Clinical Oncology.