Quyen D. Chu, MD, MBA, FACS, has been nominated by President Barack Obama for a position on the Board of Directors of the Vietnam Education Foundation, a federal agency that works to strengthen U.S.-Vietnam relations through educational exchanges in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). Dr. Chu, who is Chief of Surgical Oncology at Louisiana State University Health Science Center, is a graduate of ASCO’s Leadership Development Program inaugural class (2009-2010).
	Abraham S. Kanate, MD, who specializes in hematologic malignancies and blood and stem cell transplants, joined the Osborn Hematopoietic Malignancy and Transplantation Program at West Virginia University’s Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center.
	Mohamad Adham Salkeni, MD, who specializes in breast cancer, joined West Virginia University’s Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center’s Hematology Oncology section.
	Christopher N. Watson, MD, who specializes in radiation therapy, joined West Virginia University’s Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center’s Department of Radiation Oncology.

Outstanding Early-Career GI and GU Researchers Recognized
Congratulations to the recipients of Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Merit Awards, given to fellow first authors of high-quality abstracts presented at ASCO meetings and symposia.

2014 Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers Symposium (January 16-18)

Jacob Akeny, MD
University of California, Los Angeles

Danielle Bischof, MD
University of Toronto

Chiara Cremoli, MD
Istituto Toscano Tumori

Edward James, MD
Yale School of Medicine

Ahmed Katsha, PhD
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Nishi Kothari, MD
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

Rachit Kumar, MD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Eric Mellon, MD, PhD
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute

Eric Morgen, MD
University Health Network

Renata Peixoto, MD
BC Cancer Agency

Frances Sclafani, MD
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Preet Singh, MD
Mayo Clinic

2014 Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium (January 30-February 1)

Arun Azad, MBBS, FRACP, PhD
British Columbia Cancer Agency

Alejandro Berlin, MD
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre/University Health Network, University of Toronto

Mauricio Burotto Pichun, MD
National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health

Heather Cheng, MD, PhD
University of Washington

David Chism, MD, MS
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

André Fay, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Phillip Gray, MD
Harvard Radiation Oncology Program

Abraham Hakimi, MD
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Jenny Ko, MD
British Columbia Cancer Agency

Raya Leibowitz-Amit, MD, PhD
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto

Amitkumar Mehta, MD
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Christos Mikropoulos, MD
The Royal Marsden Hospital

Matthew Mossanen, MD
University of Washington School of Medicine

Matteo Santoni, MD
Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria

Francisco Vera-Badillo, MD
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto

At the ASCO Annual Meeting and thematic symposia, a limited number of Merit Awards are given to fellows who submit high-quality abstracts. Recipients receive a monetary stipend and complimentary registration for the Meeting or symposium. Fellows who wish to apply for a Merit Award should check the relevant box in the abstract submitter when uploading the abstract. Applicants are required to upload a letter of support from their Training Program Director and a two-page CV.

Share your professional accomplishments with colleagues and ASCO members. Email ascoconnection@asco.org with your new job, promotion, award, grant, publication, or other success story.