Dr. Daniel Isom Honored with The Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research Endowed Chair
The honor recognizes Dr. Isom’s impactful research in molecular and cellular pharmacology, which contributes to the development of promising, new cancer-fighting drugs.
The Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research advanced its mission to create a world without cancer and awarded its third endowed chair to a distinguished member of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of UHealth – University of Miami Health System.
The organization honored Daniel Isom, Ph.D., on Dec. 17 with The Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research Endowed Chair to recognize his impactful research in molecular and cellular pharmacology, which contributes to the development of promising, new cancer-fighting drugs.
With an unwavering commitment to supporting cancer research dating back more than 72 years, The Pap Corps has been a proud partner of Sylvester, raising more than $110 million. This philanthropic funding has helped fuel scientific progress by supporting hundreds of research projects, bringing Sylvester’s world-renowned physicians and scientists closer to uncovering the causes and potential treatments and cures for this terrible disease.
Through The Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research Endowed Chair, Dr. Isom, associate professor of molecular and cellular pharmacology at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, and member of the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing, will continue his translational research. It embodies computational and experimental lab work on identifying and studying dark cancer targets, understanding how cancer cells adapt to tumor and inflammatory acidity and elucidating how pH and drugs regulate cell signaling by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest and most frequently targeted transmembrane receptors in the clinic.
Dr. Isom’s innovative laboratory excels at exploring new approaches to studying the molecular and cellular basis of cancer. For example, by harnessing high-throughput CRISPR techniques and computational biology, Dr. Isom has developed cutting-edge drug discovery platforms to identify promising new therapies, pharmacological tools and biosensors for measuring the spatiotemporal dynamics of cancer cell pH.
“This is such an exciting time as we’ve made several recent discoveries that are opening new and unexpected avenues of exploration in basic cancer research,” said Dr. Isom. “Because of the type of research we do, our experimental approaches and outcomes have pan-cancer relevance, similar to The Pap Corps’ pan-cancer philosophy. We are a perfect match in my opinion.”
Susan Dinter, chair of The Pap Corps Board of Directors, reiterated that sentiment noting that when she first met Dr. Isom she was impressed with his strong commitment to cancer research.
“To me, Dr. Isom’s endowed professorship is a perfect match between The Pap Corps and Sylvester,” said Dinter. “For 72 years, we have never given up the hope that through our determination, our passion and our spirit, we will make our vision of a world without cancer a reality. Our mission to support Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center will not stop until our job is done.”
A Vanguard Scientist
Sylvester Director Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., took the opportunity at the chair ceremony to thank The Pap Corps for their tireless support and recognize Dr. Isom for his accomplishments.
“The Pap Corps is the longest supporting group for Sylvester and the most generous. Their unwavering support has had an amazing impact on cancer research at Sylvester, advancing our mission to prevent, treat and cure more cancer patients,” said Dr. Nimer, who is also the Oscar de la Renta Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and executive dean for research at the Miller School. “To receive The Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research Endowed Chair is a great honor and reflects a steadfast belief in the potential, talents and accomplishments of Dr. Isom.”
Kerry Burnstein, Ph.D., associate director for education and training at Sylvester and professor and chair of molecular and cellular pharmacology, spoke of the significance of Dr. Isom’s research and his stellar reputation in the field.
“Dan went up for tenure early,” said Dr. Burnstein. “The support letters from luminary scientists across the continent referred to him as representative of a ‘new generation of creative investigators’ who have already achieved international pre-eminence through exceptional work answering major questions in the field.”
Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Isom was also heralded as a devoted mentor to his trainees, educator extraordinaire and tireless advocate for computational literacy who developed a computer coding course for graduate students to empower them to leverage this tool.
Importance of Endowed Chairs
Calling Dr. Isom a shining example of the excellence that has become synonymous with the Miller School, Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School, called an endowed chair ceremony one of the most important academic honors a faculty member can receive.
“Endowed chair recipients undertake the arduous task of researching novel ideas in pursuit of discoveries that will not only educate our learners but also improve the health of humanity,” said Dean Ford. “Endowed chairs allow scholars, like Dr. Isom, to continue their groundbreaking research in perpetuity in the hope of discovering new treatments and cures to fight cancer.”
University of Miami President Joseph Echevarria used this opportunity to thank Dr. Isom for his relentless pursuit of cures for cancer.
“It is because of people like you that we actually have a chance of catching up to cancer and beating it,” said President Echevarria.
A Kismet Connection
Sylvester scientists, including Dr. Isom, are making great strides toward that goal thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the 22,000 members of The Pap Corps, which was founded in 1952 by a small group of visionary women to raise money for cancer research. They were inspired by Dr. George Papanicolaou, who invented the Pap smear, a diagnostic tool for cervical cancer.
Citing this origination and noting that his mother, Mary Ellen, is a cervical cancer survivor, Dr. Isom called it destiny or fate that he was named The Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research Endowed Chair.
“The Pap Corps was originally founded to fundraise specifically for research into cervical cancer and related gynecological cancers,” said Dr. Isom. “I will always view your gift of this endowed chair through the fateful lens of kismet. Forty-five years ago, a diagnosis of advanced cervical cancer blindsided my mom and dad. Today, she is still with us and still fighting.”
Tags: cancer research, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Dr. Daniel Isom, endowed chair, molecular and cellular pharmacology, philanthropy, Sylverster Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research