Village Times Herald Names Cancer Leaders "People of the Year"

Congratulations to Yusuf Hannun, MD, Director of the Stony Brook Cancer Center, Vice Dean for Cancer Medicine and the Joel Strum Kenny Professor in Cancer Research, and Lina Obeid, MD, Professor of Medicine and Dean for Research at Stony Brook University School of Medicine, who were recently named People of the Year by the Village Times Herald newspaper.

“The Village Times Herald newspaper recognizes Hannun and Obeid as People of the Year for their day-to-day leadership, their discoveries in their labs, and their focus on the future of science at Stony Brook,” the newspaper said in an article published on Dec. 31.

The article quotes Gerald Blobe, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Research Director in the Division of Medical Oncology at Duke University Medical Center, a colleague of Dr. Hannun’s:

“In terms of what they are building at Stony Brook, their vision is to grow that Cancer Center into a NCI-designated Cancer Center,” Blobe said. They want to make Stony Brook “a force in clinical care and research and training. They have a mission up there and I have no doubt that they’ll accomplish it.”

The article cites Hannun’s discovery of sphingolipids, molecules that are involved in a range of roles, including cell division, differentiation and cell death. In her lab, Obeid is exploring the role of enzymes that control molecules involved in cell growth, and others that play a role in cell death or differentiation.

Tony Futerman, Professorial Chair of Biochemistry at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, praised Hannun and Obeid for their innovation and leadership. He said there is no question in his mind that the pair will achieve their aims and deserve the recognition.

“They are considered leaders,” Futerman said. “They contribute a lot to the academic community.”

Congratulations to Drs. Hannun and Obeid!

To read the full article click: Village Times Herald.