ATLANTA, GA – Naoyuki G. Saito, MD, PhD, Departments of Radiation Medicine and Pharmacology & Therapeutics at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), will be presented with a “Young Investigator Award” by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) at its annual meeting, June 2-6, Atlanta, GA. The award includes a one-year $35,000 research grant.

Dr. Saito was selected for the award based on his abstract titled “Role of Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs) in Radioresistance of Lymphoma.”  He will use the grant to continue his studies of IAPs with the goal of developing a novel class of biologically targeted anticancer agents to be combined with ionizing radiation and conventional chemotherapy to offer more effective treatments for recurrent lymphoma and other cancers.

Dr. Saito recently joined the RPCI faculty as a physician/scientist after completing residency training in Radiation Oncology at the University of Michigan. His research interests include the molecular mechanisms of cell death as it relates to radiation therapy as well as rational design of small molecule drugs as enhancers of cell death.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology is the world’s leading professional organization representing physicians of all oncology subspecialties who care for people with cancer. ASCO’s more than 20,000 members from the United States and abroad set the standard for patient care and lead the efforts to discover more effective cancer treatments, increase funding for clinical and translational research, and ultimately, improve cancer care for the estimated 10 million people diagnosed with cancer worldwide each year.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.