Education

Education

Disis is First to Receive Mentoring Award


Dr. Mary L. "Nora" Disis

In June 2003, cancer vaccine researcher Mary L. "Nora" Disis was named the first recipient of the UW Medicine /Center of Excellence in Women's Health Award for Outstanding Mentorship.

Disis is a UW associate professor of medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, and an associate member of the Clinical Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She directs the Tumor Vaccine Group on immunotherapies for solid tumors, such as breast and ovarian cancer.

The newly created, annual mentoring award honors a UW medical faculty member who demonstrates outstanding service in helping new faculty members and trainees, especially women and minorities, advance their careers.

Dr. Lupe Salazar, an acting instructor in hematology who trained with Disis, wrote in a letter supporting the nomination, "Dr. Disis has been able to see my potential and has gently pushed me into exploring areas that I considered to be my weaknesses. This has instilled a confidence in me which has allowed me to excel in areas I never would have previously considered."

Over the past several years, Disis has formed a training program in translational research. The Tumor Vaccine Group, which she leads, is composed of researchers at all levels, from medical students to junior faculty members.

In addition, many of the researchers Disis has mentored have established their own laboratories at other universities.

In her own work, Disis is exploring how to boost the immune system of cancer patients. She led a team of UW researchers who discovered that the HER-2/neu protein, expressed by some breast cancer cells and ovarian cancer cells, stimulates an immune response in patients with these types of cancer. From animal models, she was able to extrapolate and develop a vaccine that is being tested to determine if it is beneficial to patients who have completed cancer treatment. If successful, the vaccine would help patients maintain immunity to prevent recurrence of the cancer.

In addition to the mentoring award, Disis has received several other accolades, including a FIRST Award from the National Cancer Institute, a Mid-Career Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research, and a Clinical Investigator Award.