JTCC Transplant Research Pioneer Robert Korngold, Ph.D., Receives Lifetime Achievement Award From American Society For Blood And Marrow Transplantation

HACKENSACK, N.J., Feb. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC) at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) today announced that Robert Korngold, Ph.D., chief of the division of research at JTCC and chairman of the department of research at Hackensack University Medical Center, has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT).

The award, presented to Dr. Korngold this week at the Society's 2016 BMT Tandem Meetings in Honolulu, recognizes his decades-long career and pioneering research in the field of blood and marrow stem cell transplantation. Nearly 40 years ago, he demonstrated in mouse models that mature T cells in donor bone marrow were responsible for causing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) directed to minor histocompatibility antigens in transplanted recipients. Dr. Korngold's groundbreaking study had a profound impact on the future course of clinical treatment for patients undergoing transplantation from matched sibling or unrelated matched donors.

"Dr. Korngold has been a leader and innovator in transplantation, and an inspiration for subsequent generations of researchers for decades," said Andrew Pecora, MD, FACP, CPE, chief innovations officer, professor and vice president of cancer services at JTCC. "While his impact on the field is indelible and his achievements are almost too numerous to mention, the qualities that perhaps make him most deserving of this award are his integrity, honor and commitment to patient care."

Dr. Korngold has devoted his career to studying the immunological mechanisms of GVHD and refining the hematopoietic stem cell transplantation process to avoid disease and allow for enhanced anti-leukemia immune reactivity. His research has been continuously funded by multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and he has served as a member of several NIH subcommittees and peer review panels, including the Cancer Immunopathology and Immunotherapy Study Section. He has also served as editor-in-chief of the journal Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation since 2001, and authored 140 research articles, reviews and book chapters.

"It's an immense honor to receive this recognition from ASBMT when the Society has so many deserving and accomplished members in its ranks," said Dr. Korngold. "It is a privilege to be part of an organization whose members have done so much to advance transplantation medicine. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to push the field forward in the service of patients."

About John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center

John Theurer Cancer Center is New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive cancer center dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, management, research, screenings, preventive care, as well as survivorship of patients with all types of cancer.

Each year, more people in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area turn to John Theurer Cancer Center for cancer care than to any other facility in New Jersey. The 14 specialized divisions feature a team of medical, research, nursing and support staff with specialized expertise that translates into more advanced, focused care for all patients. John Theurer Cancer Center provides comprehensive multidisciplinary care, state of the art technology, and access to clinical trials, compassionate care and medical expertise— all under one roof. Physicians at John Theurer Cancer Center are members of Regional Cancer Care Associates, one of the nation's largest professional hematology/oncology groups. For more information please visit www.jtcancercenter.org.

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SOURCE John Theurer Cancer Center

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