Print this pageNSW Premier's Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research 2009
CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO PROFILES OF ALL AWARD RECIPIENTS
PROFESSOR PHILIP HOGG RECEIVES STATE’S TOP CANCER RESEARCH HONOUR
Director of the University of NSW Cancer Research Centre, Professor Philip Hogg, has been awarded this year’s prestigious Cancer Institute NSW Premier's Award for Outstanding Cancer Researcher, the highest cancer research honour in NSW.
Professor Hogg was presented the $50,000 honour by Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer, Professor Jim Bishop AO, at a black-tie dinner in Sydney on 21 May 2009.
Professor Philip Hogg is internationally recognised in cancer research for developing a dye that fastens onto dead or dying cancer cells and reveals whether cancer treatments are working just days into the course.
His other breakthrough discovery of a protein that stops cancerous tumours growing by targeting blood cell production could extend the lives of patients
By gaining a greater understanding of how proteins work within the body, Professor Hogg discovered a protein that inhibits blood cell growth within a tumour rather than attacking the tumour cells. This is a new concept in cancer treatment which aims to prevent tumours from spreading.
A patient with ovarian cancer in the United Kingdom was the first to be treated using Professor Hogg’s technique, with promising results; further clinical trials are expected to be conducted in Sydney later this year.
The Cancer Institute NSW Premier’s Award for Outstanding Cancer Researcher recognises the potential for Professor Hogg’s research to change cancer treatment and improve the survival chances of patients.
Other award recipients at the 2009 Cancer Institute NSW Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research
Outstanding Cancer Research Fellow: Professor Richard Scolyer, whose research into melanoma at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is aimed at improving the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment.
Outstanding Cancer Research Scholar: Emily Colvin, of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, for her research into pancreatic cancer.
Innovation in Cancer Clinical Trials: Border Medical Oncology Clinical Trials Unit, Albury, for their commitment to providing access to clinical trials by developing an innovative model of clinical research in a regional setting.
Excellence in Translational Cancer Research: Sydney Melanoma Unit for their groundbreaking and internationally recognised research into melanoma and translating their findings into clinical practice.
More about Professor Hogg’s research
Professor Hogg’s basic research centres around a new mechanism of regulating protein function. Genes encode proteins, which are the machinery of life. All life forms make proteins that contain strong bonds between pairs of cysteine amino acids called disulphide bonds. There are two basic types of disulphide bond; structural bonds which help hold proteins together and functional bonds that are involved in how proteins work. Professor Hogg has discovered a new type of functional disulphide bond, one that controls how proteins work by breaking or forming in a precise way, called ‘allosteric disulphides’. This is a new paradigm in biology. He has defined a structural motif that characterises allosteric bonds and has predicted that about 10% of proteins contain these bonds. The indications are that allosteric disulphides are an important way that certain protein function is regulated. This research has been published in the scientific journals including Nature and Nature Immunology.
Professor Hogg has published 109 research articles, 86 as first or senior author. His publications include senior-authored Nature, Nature Immunology, Cancer Cell, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Trends in Biochemical Sciences and Journal of the National Cancer Institute articles, and 6 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, 6 Blood, 20 Journal of Biological Chemistry, 4 Biochemistry and 3 Journal of Immunology articles. His research has been the subject of commentaries in Nature Immunology, Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, Nature Biotechnology, Nature Reviews Cancer, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Science and Lancet Oncology.
Professor Hogg has won nineteen awards, prizes or fellowships for his research. His most prominent awards are the 2001 Commonwealth Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research, the 2001 GlaxoSmithKline Australia Award for Research Excellence, the 2008 NSW Scientist of the Year (Biomedical Sciences category) and the 2009 Oscar Ratnoff Prize from the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
About the NSW Premier's Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research
The NSW Premier's Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research were established in 2006 to recognise outstanding scientists whose commitment and talent has had a significant impact on cancer treatment, clinical trials, prevention and research. An independent panel evaluates the nominees and determines who receives a grant of $50,000 - awarded to the Outstanding Cancer Researcher of 2009; $20,000 - awarded to the Outstanding Cancer Research Fellow; and $10,000 - awarded to the Outstanding Cancer Research Scholar.
This year’s Awards introduced two new fields – the Premier's Award for Innovation in Cancer Clinical Trials ($20,000) and the Premier's Award for Excellence in Translational Cancer Research ($20,000).
Previous winners of the Outstanding Cancer Researcher of the Year include Professor Simon Chapman (2008), Professor Robyn Ward (2007) and Professor Bruce Armstrong (2006).
