Potter wins AACR award

Cancer epidemiologist Dr. John Potter of the Public Health Sciences Division has been selected to receive the 18th Annual AACR-American Cancer Society Award for Research Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention.

Potter, who is a senior adviser at the Center and a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, will receive the honor Tuesday, April 21, during the 100th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Denver. He and nine other recipients will present educational lectures during the annual meeting. Potter's lecture, “Chemoprevention: Why Do We Keep Getting It Wrong?” is scheduled for 2:15 p.m.

Formerly director of the PHS division, Potter is being recognized for his contributions to the understanding of epidemiology and prevention of colorectal cancer. Potter has studied and clarified the roles of diet, exercise, hormones and genetics in the cause of this cancer. This award was established in 1992 to honor outstanding research accomplishments in the fields of cancer epidemiology, biomarkers and prevention.

“It is not just good lab science and excellent technology that allow us to understand human health and disease; what we need are very large numbers of healthy humans who are partners in developing our collective understanding why some of us get specific diseases and some stay healthy into old age,” Potter said. “Helping to act upon this insight with enthusiasm and the right resources is, for me right now, what makes this field exciting.”
 
His is among 10 awards given annually by the AACR, the world’s oldest and largest professional organization representing cancer scientists from the United States and nearly 80 other countries. The series of awards honor outstanding accomplishments in basic cancer research, clinical research, epidemiology, therapeutics and prevention. Each recipient presents an educational lecture at the AACR Annual Meeting.