According to Kenneth Goodman, Chairman of the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF), “We are extremely proud of our ICRF-funded scientists, including Dr. Hershko and Dr. Ciechanover. The entrepreneurial spirit of Israel is at work in the scientific research community and it has yielded spectacular results. Some of the scientific discoveries have helped to lead to the treatments that today are saving thousands of lives of cancer victims around the world. The funding of our scientists is of vital importance and we must do more if we are going to successfully find the cure for cancer.”
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) created the Academy to recognize and honor distinguished scientists whose “major scientific contributions have propelled significant innovation and progress against cancer.” They selected the first fellows through a “rigorous peer review process that evaluates individuals on the basis of their stellar scientific achievements” in cancer research. Only individuals who have made exceptional contributions to cancer and or cancer-related biomedical science are eligible for elections.
The inaugural class of Fellows includes 106 individuals, symbolizing the age of the organization upon establishment of the Academy. Future classes of Fellows will consist of no more than 11 individuals, in honor of the 11 founding members of the American Association for Cancer Research.