According to a press release from the Cleveland Clinic Newsroom, Charis Eng, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Genomic Medicine Institute, and co-founder of Family Care Path, received the American Cancer Society’s Medal of Honor at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on October 18, 2018.  The ACS Medal of Honor is the organization’s highest award and is presented to individuals who have made outstanding and valuable contributions in the field of cancer treatment.

“Our Medal of Honor recipients embody what the American Cancer Society is all about,” said Gary M. Reedy, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. “We bestow this highest honor on these individuals for their significant contributions to the advancement and impact of our collective efforts to save more lives from cancer.”

Dr. Eng is being honored for clinical research – contributions, specifically in genomic medicine research, which have significantly improved the clinical outcome of patients.  She continues to implement evidence-based genetic- and genomics-enabled personalized healthcare that has enhanced care for patients at genetic risk of disease nationally and globally. “Through educating physicians and promoting genetic counseling and smart clinical management,” said Dr. Eng, “we can improve early diagnosis and develop the most targeted cancer treatment possible for individual patients.”

An internationally recognized physician-scientist in the cancer genetics field, “Charis is a true pioneer in cancer genomics, especially integrating the study of genetics into clinical care,” said Serpil Erzurum, M.D., chair of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute. “She has dedicated her career to patient-oriented research in genetics and genomic medicine.  She also has an unparalleled passion for mentoring the next generation of physician-scientists, Ph.D.’s, clinical researchers and healthcare leaders.”

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