October 24, 2008
University of Chicago professor Mark J. Ratain, MD, is this year’s recipient of the Award for Clinical Service presented by the Institute for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The award honors a person who has made significant contributions to the advancement of individualized therapy in clinical practice.
“Dr. Ratain’s work with the University of Chicago has shown us a clear model for understanding how anticancer drugs work in real patients,” said Howard McLeod, PharmD, director of IPIT. “The ultimate goal of Dr. Ratain’s research is to help tailor medicines to a person’s unique genetic make-up, which should ultimately make medicines safer and more effective for everyone.”
Pharmacogenetics is the study of how genetic variation among individuals contributes to differences in the way people respond to medicines. Ratain’s research has made major advances in understanding and applying the pharmacogenetics of anticancer agents and complements the work being done at UNC through IPIT and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Ratain’s award also acknowledges his leadership in a number of multi-investigator initiatives with the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute. His research has influenced the FDA prescribing recommendations for a variety of anticancer agents commonly used for colorectal, breast and lung cancers.
“In cancer medicine we use pharmacogenetics to understand how an individual handles chemotherapy drugs by analyzing their DNA,” said Richard Goldberg, MD, chief of oncology at the UNC School of Medicine. “Dr. Ratain’s laboratory has identified better ways to deliver drugs and improve the quality of life for cancer patients. Because his work has built a bridge between laboratory scientists and clinical medicine, he richly deserves this award.”
McLeod will present the award to Ratain during a ceremony on Oct. 28 at 3:30 p.m. at the Carolina Inn located at 211 Pittsboro Street in Chapel Hill.
Ratain will present a related seminar on May 12. The seminar is open to the public, but seating is limited.
Mark J. Ratain, MD
At the University of Chicago, Ratain is the Leon O. Jacobson Professor of Medicine, chairman of the Committee on Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics and associate director for clinical sciences of the Cancer Research Center. Ratain received his M.D. from Yale University School of Medicine in 1980. He is a hematologist/oncologist and clinical pharmacologist with significant experience in the administration of multi-investigator NIH cooperative agreements.
Ratain has been chair of the Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Committee of the NIH’s Cancer and Leukemia Group B for the past 14 years, which is supported by several National Cancer Institute U10 cooperative agreements, including one explicitly for PET committee activities. In addition, he has been chair of the Pharmacogenetics of Anticancer Agents Research Group for more than eight years. He has extensive experience in cancer clinical trials involving pharmacological studies with 238 original publications to his credit.
UNC Institute for Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy
The institute was formed in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy as a collaborative effort with the School of Medicine, Gillings School of Global Public Health, and the School of Nursing and with support from the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Carolina Center for Genome Sciences. Leadership in key areas of pharmacogenomic research will be fostered by creating contiguous office and laboratory space to bolster collaborations and the development of comprehensive research investigations and treatment tools. IPIT will also offer the services of core facilities in molecular genomics, cellular phenotyping and bioinformatics to add to the excellent core facilities already existing at UNC.
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