The World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS) awarded its highest honor, the 2018 Gold Medal Award, to Robert J. Gillies, PhD, for his “renowned dedication to the molecular imaging community and revolutionary contributions to the field,” according to a release.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this award,” Gillies said in a prepared statement issued by the WMIS. “It has been extremely gratifying to participate in the maturation of Molecular Imaging as a field, which has moved beyond an approach with just a promise to one that is delivering on that promise to improve patient outcome and our understanding of human health and disease.”
At present, Gillies serves as the chair of cancer physiology and vice-chair of research in the Department of Radiology at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa, Florida.
“Dr. Gillies was chosen for his sustained research over decades elucidating fundamental insights into cancer biology,” Sanjiv Gambhir, MD, PhD, of the Stanford University School of Medicine, and WMIS past president and fellow, said in the same statement. “His detailed studies involving molecular imaging tools such as MRI continue to help unravel the complex behavior of cancer. He has also championed work in which complex information regarding cancer is derived from radiology images and helps determine patient outcomes.”
Gillies’ research has utilized approaches from cell biology and radiology to investigate cancers as part of ecology and evolution. Most recently, his research has been focused on identifying the impact of increased acidity on tumor behavior. He is working on approaches to measure and neutralize tumor acidity in human cancer patients, which may one day be used in clinical settings.
He has also served as a member of the board of trustees and as the president of WMIS, and was also a founding member and chair of the Molecular Imaging study section at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.