The AACR is the first and largest cancer research organisation dedicated to accelerating the conquest of cancer. The mission of the AACR Academy is “to recognize and honour distinguished scientists whose scientific contributions have propelled significant innovation and progress against cancer”. Nominees are elected through an annual peer review process conducted by existing Fellows of the AACR Academy and ratified by the AACR Academy Steering Committee and the AACR Executive Committee in conjunction with the AACR Academy Nomination and Election Oversight Committee. This year, 33 new Fellows have been elected, who join 256 existing Fellows, including Ludwig Oxford’s Professor Sir Peter Ratcliffe who was elected in 2020 and visiting Professor Lieping Chen, who was elected in 2021.
Ludwig Oxford’s Professor Yang Shi is recognized for his landmark contributions to the field of epigenetics, which the AACR noted have had a “far-reaching impact on basic and translational cancer research.” These include the transformative demonstration that histone methylation, which controls gene expression, is reversible and dynamically regulated, and the discovery of the first histone demethylase, LSD1, which is now a significant drug target for the treatment of cancer. You can read more about Yang’s research here.
Many congratulations to Yang!