Drs. Susan O'Brien and Catherine Wu Presented the Binet-Rai Medal at 20th International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL)

BOSTON, Oct. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- During this past weekend's 20th biennial International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL), Susan M. O'Brien, MD, and Catherine J. Wu, MD, were awarded the Binet-Rai Medal. Since 1999, the iwCLL has presented the Binet-Rai Medal every two years to individuals and teams who help shape and enhance scientific understanding of CLL through important research and contributions.

Kanti Rai, MD, one of the two original recipients for whom the Medal was subsequently named, had the honor of presenting this year's awards to Drs. O'Brien and Wu: "Dr. Susan O'Brien is an internationally recognized leader in the research and treatment of therapies for patients with both chronic and acute leukemias, and is a pioneer of several important therapies now regarded as the standard of care for CLL. Dr. Catherine Wu is an internationally recognized expert in the biology and treatment of lymphoid malignancies, with a primary focus on CLL. This work has culminated in ongoing clinical trials where genomic information is being used to design a personalized vaccine to test the impact on generation of an immune response and anti-tumor activity."

Dr. O'Brien stated: "I'm speechless and delighted, not just that I was presented this award, but that Dr. Wu was as well. Women are beginning to be more acknowledged in this field, and I'm proud that not just one, but two women received this year's Binet-Rai Medal."

Dr. Wu continued: "Dr. O'Brien and I complement one another in that our careers span the entire breath of research, from basic science to clinical development, with the aligned focus of improving the lives of patients with CLL. This award is a true honor for both of us." 

This year's iwCLL featured 217 research abstracts, as well as 11 unique sessions spanning different aspects of diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with CLL, including:

• Preclinical and translational research on the genomics, proteomics, and metabolism of CLL
• Discussions on the role of the microenvironment in CLL pathogenesis
• Roundtables on how to define success in the treatment of CLL, including perspectives from physicians, patients, epidemiologists, and others
• Investigations into the mechanisms of resistance to therapy
• Presentations on therapies in development and future therapies, including BTK degraders, cellular therapies, and bispecific antibodies
• Global perspectives on CLL management, including the war in Ukraine's effect on patient care

iwCLL also announced that its 21st biennial meeting will occur in Krakow, Poland on September 12-15, 2025.

About Susan M. O'Brien, MD
Dr. O'Brien is a professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the Department of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. The principal investigator for more than 100 funded clinical protocols, she led the initial clinical research into ibrutinib for patients with CLL and continues research into the use of BTK inhibitors and other therapies for patients with CLL and small lymphocytic lymphoma. Dr O'Brien has authored more than 900 peer-reviewed manuscripts and has given more than 500 lectures at national and international conferences and academic institutions. In 2020, she received the Giants of Cancer Care Award for Leukemia. Dr O'Brien received her medical degree and completed her residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (currently known as the Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences). She completed her oncology fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and joined the faculty after completion of her fellowship.

About Catherine J. Wu, MD
Dr. Wu is the Chief of the Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, as well as a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her seminal research focuses on understanding the genomic landscape of CLL, and how the disease interacts with the immune system. Dr. Wu is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and an elected member of the Fellows of the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Association of Physicians, and the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Wu received her medical degree from Stanford University, and she completed postgraduate training in internal medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, followed by a fellowship in medical oncology and hematology at Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare.

About iwCLL
The iwCLL is an international, non-profit association, which is committed to creating progress regarding the management and outcome of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia world-wide. The vision of iwCLL is a world where all patients with CLL can be cured. The iwCLL is committed to creating progress regarding the management and outcome of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia world-wide. Learn more at www.iwcll.org.

SOURCE International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia