Moffitt Cancer Center HPV Expert Receives Award from American Cancer Society
TAMPA, Fla. – Anna Giuliano, Ph.D., world renowned HPV expert and founder of the Center for Infection Research in Cancer at Moffitt Cancer Center, has received the Clinical Research Professor Award from the American Cancer Society. This is the most prestigious award given by the American Cancer Society and honors investigators who have made lasting contributions in the area of cancer control and research. Since 1957, only 147 top scientists and clinicians have received it. Dr. Giuliano is the first researcher in Florida to receive the award, which comes with a five-year grant that will help fund Giuliano’s “Prevention of Infection-related Cancers” project.
One in five cases of cancer is caused by infection from viruses, such as hepatitis C (HCV) and human papillomavirus (HPV). Hepatitis C is one of the leading causes of liver cancer and HPV can cause multiple cancers including cervical, anal and a type of head and neck cancer called oropharyngeal. Giuliano will lead a series of studies with the goal of reducing HCV-related liver cancer and increasing survival of patients diagnosed HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers.
In early June, Giuliano led a national initiative that resulted in all 70 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers coming together to endorse a goal of eliminating HPV-related cancers in the United States, beginning with cervical cancer.
“Our country has an unprecedented opportunity to not just prevent cancers caused by HPV but to eliminate them. This means getting to a point in time when cancers such as cervical cancer are no longer diagnosed in the U.S. To accomplish this goal, we need to utilize our most important tool – HPV vaccination,” said Giuliano.
This is not Dr. Giuliano’s first award from the American Cancer Society. In 2013, at the 100th anniversary of the organization, she was honored with the Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Award for her tireless work in HPV-related cancer prevention.
About Moffitt Cancer Center
Moffitt is dedicated to one lifesaving mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Tampa-based facility is one of only 49 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt’s scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. Moffitt is a Top 10 cancer hospital and has been nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report since 1999. Moffitt devotes more than 2 million square feet to research and patient care. Moffitt’s expert nursing staff is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet® status, its highest distinction. With more than 5,700 team members, Moffitt has an economic impact in the state of $2.1 billion. For more information, call 1-888-MOFFITT (1-888-663-3488), visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the momentum on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
