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Dr. John Dick is honoured with the Rigshospitalet International KFJ Award.
Posted On: January 20, 2017
PM Senior Scientist Dr. John Dick received the 2016 International KFJ Award from Rigshospitalet, one of the largest hospitals in Denmark. The award, worth DKK 1.5 million, is presented annually in partnership with the Kirsten and Freddy Johansen Foundation to an international high-ranking researcher.
Dr. Dick was honoured for his seminal discovery of leukemia stem cells, the tumour cells that initiate and maintain disease. He demonstrated that tumours comprise distinct cell populations that exist in a hierarchical manner, with leukemia stem cells serving as the ‘root’ of the cancer that gives rise to all of the other tumour cell populations. The finding revolutionized the model by which leukemia develops—a model that was subsequently found to hold true in other cancers as well.
Moreover, because leukemia stem cells are often resistant to conventional therapies, they represent the means by which the disease recurs after treatment. As a result, much research has focused on developing novel therapies to target and eliminate these ‘master cells’ in leukemia and other cancers.
"It’s always an honour to be recognized for your work, so I’m extremely grateful for the award, and I look forward to investing the generous donation," said Dr. Dick. He will apply the award funds towards a joint research project with Rigshospitalet to make it easier to recognize and attack leukemia stem cells.
Dr. Dick was honoured for his seminal discovery of leukemia stem cells, the tumour cells that initiate and maintain disease. He demonstrated that tumours comprise distinct cell populations that exist in a hierarchical manner, with leukemia stem cells serving as the ‘root’ of the cancer that gives rise to all of the other tumour cell populations. The finding revolutionized the model by which leukemia develops—a model that was subsequently found to hold true in other cancers as well.
Moreover, because leukemia stem cells are often resistant to conventional therapies, they represent the means by which the disease recurs after treatment. As a result, much research has focused on developing novel therapies to target and eliminate these ‘master cells’ in leukemia and other cancers.
"It’s always an honour to be recognized for your work, so I’m extremely grateful for the award, and I look forward to investing the generous donation," said Dr. Dick. He will apply the award funds towards a joint research project with Rigshospitalet to make it easier to recognize and attack leukemia stem cells.