Carol L. Prives Wins 2021 AACR-G.H.A. Clowes Award for Outstanding Basic Cancer Research

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) presented Carol L. Prives, PhD, FAACR, with the 2021 AACR-G.H.A. Clowes Award for Outstanding Basic Cancer Research during the 2021 AACR Annual Meeting, held virtually April 9-14th, 2021.

Prives, the Da Costa Professor of Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Herbert and Florence Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics at Columbia University and a member of the Cancer Genomics & Epigenomics program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, is being recognized for discovering that p53 is a DNA sequence-specific transcriptional activator and, when mutated, possesses novel oncogenic functions. She is also being recognized for her work involving the identification of stress signal-induced regulatory mechanisms of p53 and Mdm2 and for revealing novel pathways by which p53 functions to suppress cell growth and promote cell death.

Throughout her career, Prives has made groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of the p53 tumor suppressor protein and its role in cancer etiology and development. Among other key findings, her research has provided important insights into how p53 regulates numerous cellular outcomes such as cell cycle, senescence, apoptosis, and metabolic processes; clarified the mechanism by which p53 is stabilized after DNA damage, which leads to upregulation of p53-controlled genes; and revealed how tumor-derived mutant forms of p53 function promote malignant cell transformation.

“Dr. Prives’ innovative, pioneering work in characterizing the behavior and function of the p53 tumor suppressor gene has contributed markedly to providing a solid foundation for a whole field of molecular cancer research,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR. “The AACR is thrilled to recognize the contributions she has made to science for the benefit of cancer patients with this well-deserved honor.”

The AACR-G.H.A. Clowes Award for Outstanding Basic Cancer Research was established between the AACR and Eli Lilly and Co. in 1961 to honor Dr. G.H.A. Clowes, who was a founding member of the AACR and a research director at Eli Lilly. The award is intended to recognize an individual who has made outstanding recent accomplishments in basic cancer research.

Read the full press release in the AACR newsroom.