2015 Dean’s Awards honoree: Eric R. Fearon, M.D., Ph.D.

One of the criteria for the Distinguished Faculty Lectureship Award in Biomedical Research is that the recipient delivers a lecture. On Nov. 17, Eric R. Fearon, M.D., Ph.D., the Emanuel N. Maisel Professor of Oncology, presented “Mechanisms Underlying Colorectal Tumor Pathogenesis.”

Colleagues who nominated Fearon for the award call him a giant in the field of carcinogenesis, specifically in the understanding and development of colorectal cancer. A majority of his scholarly work has detailed the genetic pathway that a normal epithelial cell in the colon of patients takes to transform into an adenomatous polyp and then into a visible and dangerous cancer that afflicts a large part of the Western world.

“This award recognizes the many, many individuals who have assisted and supported me … including outstanding department chairs and division chiefs who have fostered and supported my efforts… the outstanding mentors I learned from … the engaging and innovative colleagues that I interact and collaborate with (especially my wife, Kathleen Cho, M.D.); the dedicated and imaginative students and trainees … and my family’s exceptional support and patience,” he says.