Jonathan D. Licht, M.D., director of the UF Health Cancer Center, has been honored with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Excellence in Scientific Service award for his commitment to the blood cancer community.
The Excellence in Scientific Service awards recognize scientists who not only have made exceptional contributions to blood cancer research, but who also give their time and expertise to help LLS find and fund the most promising research in both academia and biotech companies.
Licht received the award from LLS Chief Scientific Officer Lee Greenberger, Ph.D., at the LLS Research Awards & Networking Event on Dec. 8 in San Diego, where the awardees and 30,000 others gathered for the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition.
Licht, the Marshall E. Rinker Sr. Chair and a professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the UF College of Medicine, is an expert in epigenetics, the science that explains how environmental and behavioral factors can alter the way human genes work. This is vital in blood cancer since today we know that cancer is largely driven by mutations in genes or changes in how normal genes work.
Licht is a volunteer member and chair of the LLS Medical & Scientific Affairs Committee, where he collaborates in the evaluation and awarding of new research grants.
“I am deeply grateful to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which has funded my work for over 25 years, for this honor,” Licht said. “LLS support for researchers at all stages of their career has led to real progress for blood cancer patients. I also admire LLS’s dedication to patient services and survivorship.”
Susan O’Brien, M.D., who recently retired as associate director for clinical science at Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and medical director at the Sue & Ralph Stern Center for Clinical Trials & Research at the University of California Irvine, also received an Excellence in Scientific Service award.
“Blood cancer researchers are uniquely dedicated to what we do,” Greenberger said. “This year we honor Dr. Licht and Dr. O’Brien, who are two of the many world-class scientists who step up to help LLS do its vital work of finding and funding the best ideas and the brightest minds not just across the U.S., but the world, so we can unite to find cures and improve quality of life of patients and their families.”
Licht’s cancer career spans three decades and his research program is distinguished by over 30 years of continuous National Cancer Institute (NCI) and national foundation funding. He leads a Specialized Center of Research program from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and has authored more than 220 publications with nearly 34,000 citations.
Earlier this year, he was named a 2023 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which is among the most distinctive honors in academia and recognizes extraordinary impact and achievement across disciplines.
