Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei (DKMS) awarded Carl H. June, MD, the 2023 Mechtild Harf Science Award for his achievements in cancer immunology. The award was established in 1991 when Peter Harf founded DKMS after his wife, Mechtild Harf, passed away from leukemia.
Dr. June is the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy, director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, and director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
He has made many contributions to the field of cancer immunology throughout his career as a physician-scientist. Most notably, Dr. June’s research on synthetic T-cell activation made him a pioneer in the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.
“It is a great honor to be selected for the DKMS Mechtild Harf Science Award. I join the ranks of many other great physicians and scientists who have already received this award. I share with the Harf family the sad story of losing a beloved family member far too soon, so it means a lot to me that we can meet in this way and toast the future of cancer treatment,” Dr. June said. “I thank DKMS and my many brilliant colleagues, along with all of the patients and their families who have put their trust in our research.”
Source: DKMS, July 12, 2023.