Sones Innovation Award honors breast cancer vaccine research

Friday, March 11, 2011, Cleveland: Vincent Tuohy, Ph.D., an Immunologist at Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute, was recently named the winner of Cleveland Clinic's annual Sones Innovation Award, recognizing individual efforts to advance medical innovation.

Tuohy was selected by an anonymous review committee for his recent research focusing on the development of a breast cancer vaccine. Tuohy's research found that the vaccine successfully prevented breast cancer in laboratory mouse models. The results were published in Nature Medicine (2010).

"When this exciting research comes to fruition, it would be a major breakthrough - one of the most important things Cleveland Clinic has ever developed," said Delos M. "Toby" Cosgrove, M.D., President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic.

The award is named in honor of F. Mason Sones, M.D., a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist who pioneered the imaging of arterial blockages, thereby laying the groundwork for modern cardiology.

"I am so honored to receive this kind of recognition from my peers," Tuohy said. "It is very gratifying, and I feel truly blessed not only for receiving this award but simply for being able to work around all this talent and potential."

Previous winners of the Sones Innovation Award include Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D.; Eric Klein, M.D.; and Robert Silverman, Ph.D.

Provided by Lerner Research Institute