For Immediate Release
October 30, 2007

BUFFALO, NY − Thomas J. Dougherty, PhD, Chief Emeritus, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) Center, Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), has been recognized for his contributions and inventions in PDT by the Society of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines (SPP), headquartered in Dijon, France.

The SPP has established the Dougherty Award for Excellence in PDT sponsored by Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, which will be presented every two years to the individual who has made significant contributions in basic or clinical research in the area of PDT. The first award will be presented at the Fifth International Conference of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines, July 2008, in Moscow.

Dr. Dougherty pioneered research in the field of PDT since the early 1970s. Since then, PDT, which uses a photosensitizing drug in combination with laser light to kill cancer cells, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and is currently being used world wide for early and late stage lung cancer, obstructive esophageal cancer, high-grade dysplasia associated with Barrett’s esophagus, age-related macular degeneration and actinic keratoses. Also clinical studies are evaluating PDT for cancers of the brain, skin, prostate, cervix and peritoneal cavity.  

Dr. Dougherty’s distinguished career at Roswell Park spans 37 years, during which he has focused his research primarily on basic and clinical research in PDT. He is now evaluating potential new drugs for PDT and has initiated quantitative studies for the rational design of new photosensitizing drugs.

Dr. Dougherty is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Association for Cancer Research and American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery. He has received many honors including the Schoellkopf Award, American Chemical Society, and Inventor of the Year Award from the Niagara Frontier Intellectual Property Law Association and Technical Societies Council and a lifetime achievement award from the American Society of Photobiology. Dr. Dougherty has authored or co-authored more than 200 journal publications.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania, and in China. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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