Dr. Brian Shirts, a member of the Brotman Baty Institute, has won the Catalyst for Next-Generation Oncology Award, one of the AstraZeneca-Scientific American Cancer Community Awards, for his work serving individuals and families with hereditary cancer.
The award is accompanied by a $50,000 grant to a non-profit organization. Shirts will direct the grant to ConnectMyVariant, a non-profit organization he launched earlier this year, educating people with hereditary cancer to understand their own inherited genetic mutations, as well as finding and communicating with relatives who have the same genetic risks of cancer.
“I am humbled to be selected for this honor,” said Shirts, an associate professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at UW Medicine. “The award reflects the importance of prevention in cancer research. The funding will enable ConnectMyVariant to expand outreach significantly, both in the United States and internationally.”
