Guillermo Garcia-Manero, MD, Receives Freireich Award at SOHO Meeting

HOUSTON – Guillermo Garcia-Manero, MD, of the Department of Leukemia at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was honored with the Emil Freireich Distinguished Pioneer Award from the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) during the society’s 10th annual meeting in Houston, Texas.

“The selection committee has selected Dr. Guillermo Garcia-Manero, who actually is a pioneer in the footsteps of Dr. Freireich,” said Hagop Kantarjian, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Leukemia at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. “Guillermo has innovated in many aspects of myelodysplastic syndrome, and we’re very proud to have him at MD Anderson. And we’re proud to have him as one of the outstanding MDS researchers whom we hope will cure MDS in his professional life.”

This is the society’s “most prestigious award” and “serves to honor those [who] have been pioneers in their work and made a notable impact worthy of high regard and recognition by their peers,” according to SOHO. The award consists of a $5,000 honorarium, a commemorative plaque, and support to attend the annual meeting.

“Thank you very much, Dr. Kantarjian and committee for selecting me. I think a lot of people in this room probably would be worthy of this,” Dr. Garcia-Manero said as he accepted the award.

Dr. Garcia-Manero is a Professor in the Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson and serves as Chief of the Section of Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Deputy Chair of Translational Research and Fellowship Program Director in the department. He is also Chair of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Faculty Senate.

“For the last 15 years, Dr. Garcia-Manero’s efforts [have] focused on improving the outcomes and quality of life of patients with leukemia and in particular myelodysplastic syndromes,” according to his faculty biography from MD Anderson. “His work centers around the understanding of the pathophysiology of these disorders in an attempt to develop new therapeutic interventions. He currently leads the largest MDS program in the world and directs the MDS/AML Moon Shot® program at MD Anderson.”

The award is named for the named for the late Dr. Emil Freireich, who was a founding member of SOHO in 2012 and was elected in 2013 as SOHO’s first president. His “direction in creating the first worldwide society dedicated to hematologic oncology was integral to the mission of SOHO,” according to SOHO.

The award was developed to “recognize SOHO members who have significantly advanced the mission of the society,” which is to “promote worldwide research, education, prevention, clinical studies, and optimal patient care in all aspects of hematologic malignancies and related disorders,” according to SOHO officials.

The eligibility criteria for the award required candidates to be a SOHO member, serve on multiple SOHO committees, and “demonstrate exemplary leadership, vision and commitment to SOHO while significantly advancing the SOHO mission.” Those who previously received the award are not eligible to receive it again. The candidates are chosen by the SOHO Education Committee, and nominees are submitted to the SOHO Board of Directors for final selection.