SOHO Keating Awardee Dr. Cortes Speaks on the Honor

Jorges Cortes, MD, who serves as Director of the Georgia Cancer Center in Augusta, discusses what it means for him to honored with the Michael J. Keating Award from the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) during a plenary session at the Society’s annual meeting.

“It is particularly meaningful to me because it is in honor of Dr. Keating,” Dr. Cortes said. “Dr. Keating was a giant in hematologic malignancies research [and] patient care. As a resident, I was reading his papers and learning from him from a distance. I was in Mexico in those days. When I came to the [United States] and I started working with him, he was always so generous with his time and his knowledge.”

The award recognizes a SOHO member who has significantly contributed to the advancement of cancer treatment and research in the field of hematologic oncology. Dr. Cortes is an active member of the SOHO Education and Scientific committees and has served the Society for a decade.  He was previously at the MD Anderson Cancer Center for 27 years, where he was a Professor of Medicine and an internist. Additionally, he served multiple roles in the Department of Leukemia and the Division of Cancer Medicine at MD Anderson.

The award was created in honor of Michael J. Keating, MD, a founding member of the Society and a “major contributor to the field of leukemia research and treatment,” according to SOHO. Dr. Keating served as SOHO’s president in 2017.

“I always admired him so much, so receiving an award that carries his name with everything he did to advance knowledge, research, and patient care in hematologic malignancies really has a particular value for me and is something that I cherish,” Dr. Cortes said.