Prof. Brian Druker Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute, USA

Dr. Druker's research focuses on the regulation of the growth of cancer cells and the practical application of this knowledge to cancer therapies. His laboratory performed critical pre-clinical studies of Gleevec (imatinib), which targets the molecular defect in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Dr. Druker then led the highly successful clinical... read moretrials of imatinib, which is now FDA approved for CML, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and eight other cancers. He graduated from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in 1981, completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Barnes Hospital, Washington School of Medicine, and then trained in oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He is now Director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, JELD-WEN Chair of Leukemia Research, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Druker’s role in the development of imatinib and its application in the clinic has resulted in numerous awards, including the 2009 Lasker-DeBakey Award for Clinical Medical Research, the Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research, the Japan Prize in Healthcare and Medical Technology, the American Cancer Society’s Medal of Honor, and the Warren Alpert Prize from Harvard Medical School. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2003, the American Association of Physicians in 2006, the National Academy of Sciences in 2007, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2012.