The International Myeloma Foundation to Honor Cancer Researchers Meletios A. Dimopoulos, MD, and María-Victoria Mateos, MD, on June 11 in Amsterdam

LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) will honor two outstanding multiple myeloma specialists whose work has significantly improved the lives of patients at a ceremony June 11 in Amsterdam.

The IMF, the first and largest organization focusing specifically on multiple myeloma, will present the Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award to Meletios A. Dimopoulos, MD, and the Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award to María-Victoria Mateos, MD during the 2019 International Myeloma Working Group Summit, June 10-12. More than 100 international blood cancer experts will gather at the Summit in Amsterdam to collaborate on new multiple myeloma treatment guidelines and ongoing research projects leading to a cure for this blood cancer.

• Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award: Named for its first recipient, the Kyle Award is given to an individual whose body of work in the field of myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells, has made significant advances in research, treatment and patient care. This year's recipient, Dr. Meletios A. Dimopoulos, is Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Chairman of the Department of Clinical Therapeutics and Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Dr. Dimopoulos has authored more than 1,000 publications in peer-reviewed journals, with more than 47,000 citations and an h-index of 102 (ISI). He is a member of the IMF Scientific Advisory Board.
• IMF Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award: Named for the IMF Chairman, the award is given to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in multiple myeloma research. This year's recipient, Dr. María-Victoria Mateos, is Associate Professor of Hematology and Consultant Physician in the Haematology Department at the University of Salamanca and Director of the Myeloma Unit, where she is responsible for coordinating the Clinical Trials Unit in Salamanca University Hospital's Haematology Department. She currently serves on the European Hematology Association (EHA) as the chair of Scientific Program Committee for the 2019 congress.

"I would like to thank the members of the IMWG committee who have considered me worthy of this important award," said Dr. Dimopoulos. "To receive an award with the name of Robert Kyle—the pioneer of myeloma research and treatment—is a recognition that I will cherish throughout my life. It gives me the strength to continue the fight and the vision towards a myeloma cure."

"It is a great honor for me to receive this prestigious award, which recognizes the clinical research we have been doing in myeloma with a key objective—to try to cure, or at least to improve, the outcome of our patients," said Dr. Mateos. "This award belongs to every Spanish investigator in the Spanish Myeloma Group. Without their contributions, generosity and help, none of the achievements would have been possible."

According to Dr. Durie, "Myeloma patients around the world have benefited—and will continue to benefit—from the important research contributions made by Dr. Dimopoulos and Dr. Mateos. Their work brings us closer to finding the pathway to a cure."

The IMWG Awards will be given at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION 
Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative^®, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org. Follow the IMF on Twitter @IMFmyeloma.

CONTACT:
Debra Gendel [email protected] (310) 710-1903
Sapna Kumar [email protected] (818) 487-7455

SOURCE International Myeloma Foundation

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http://www.myeloma.org