SAN ANTONIO, TX--13 Dec--PRNewswire-AsiaNet/InfoQuest Leaders in Estrogen Biosynthesis, Anti-Angiogenesis Therapies Join Foundation's Growing Roster of Renowned Breast Cancer Pioneers The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the world's largest source of non-profit funding for breast cancer research and community outreach programs behind the U.S. government, has announced the 2006 winners of its most prestigious honor, the Komen Foundation Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction. The 2006 Brinker Award recipient for basic science is Evan Simpson, Ph.D., Director of the Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia and the 2006 award recipient for clinical research is George W. Sledge, Jr., M.D., the Ballve-Lantero Professor of Oncology at Indiana University Cancer Center in Indianapolis. The Komen Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction was established by the Komen Foundation in 1992 to recognize leading scientists for their significant work in advancing research concepts or clinical application in the fields of breast cancer research, screening or treatment. Drs. Simpson and Sledge will be recognized Dec. 14 at the Komen Foundation's Brinker Dinner held during the 29th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), Dec. 14 through 17, 2006 in San Antonio's Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Professor Simpson's research has made a major impact in a variety of fields, including embryology, endocrinology, reproduction, tumor biology, and human physiology and pathophysiology. Simpson is recognized as the world leader in the field of estrogen biosynthesis. His research led to the concept that in post-menopausal women, estrogen action in breast, brain and bone is due to local production in these respective sites. This concept has influenced the development of new drugs for the treatment of breast tumors. Simpson's work demonstrating that aromatase in breast tumors is regulated differently than in the surrounding normal breast tissue may lead to unique approaches for treating breast cancer. Dr. Sledge was one of the first researchers to recognize the importance of local invasion and angiogenesis in breast cancer and has been a leader in the application of anti-angiogenesis therapies designed to prevent the development of new blood vessels in human cancers. Sledge's work in recent years has focused in on novel biologic therapies for breast cancer. Sledge led a recent Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group trial examining the safety of trastuzumab and paclitaxel as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer, and he led the first-ever trial of an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Sledge's involvement in the design and implementation of pivotal trials has been critical in the development of adjuvant therapies to improvedisease-free and overall survival for women with metastatic breast cancer. The Brinker awardees will deliver the 2006 Komen Foundation's Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction plenary lectures on their work on the opening day of SABCS, Dec. 14, from 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. in Exhibit Hall D, Gonzalez Convention Center. Symposium attendees are invited to attend the plenary lectures and the Brinker Award dinner, which follows. Complete information about the symposium is available at http://www.sabcs.org Past recipients of the Komen Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction include V. Craig Jordan, Ph.D., OBE a pioneer in the use of tamoxifen; Mary-Claire King, Ph.D., whose research isolated the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations associated with genetic forms of breast cancer; Larry Norton, M.D., whose dose-density approach to the administration of chemotherapy has revolutionized breast cancer treatment; and Leland Hartwell, Ph.D., winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize for medicine or physiology who was recognized for hisachievements in understanding the cell cycle in the development of cancer. Brinker Award recipients each receive a $20,000 honorarium and a special citation of this distinction. About the Komen Foundation The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. Today, the Foundation is an international organization with a network of more than 75,000 volunteers working through local Affiliates and events like the Komen Race for the Cure(R) to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. A global leader in the fight against breast cancer, the Foundation fulfills its mission through support of innovative breast cancer research grants, meritorious awards and educational, scientific and community outreach programs around the world. Through fiscal year 2006, the Komen Foundation, together with its Affiliate Network, corporate partners and generous donors, will have invested a projected $780 million in breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs. For more information about breast health or breast cancer, visit the Foundation's Web site at http://www.komen.org or call the Foundation's National Toll Free Breast Care Helpline at 1.800 I'M AWARE(R) (1.800.462.9273). SOURCE: Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation CONTACT: Jean Maza, +1-972-701-2105, or [email protected] or Jill Coody Smits, +1-972-855-1682, or [email protected] both of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Web site: http://www.komen.org http://www.sabcs.org --Distributed by AsiaNet ( www.asianetnews.net )--