Northwell Health’s Clinical Investigators Recognized With ASCO Foundation’s 2024 Conquer Cancer Awards

Stephanie Boisclair, MD, Nicholas Hornstein, MD, PhD, and Daniel King, MD, PhD, received ASCO Foundation Conquer Cancer awards to fund future projects

MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Northwell Health and The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research physicians have been recognized with Conquer Cancer awards by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Foundation. Stephanie Boisclair, MD, Daniel King, MD, PhD, and incoming Northwell physician-researcher Nicholas Hornstein, MD, PhD, will be recognized during the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL (May 31 – June 4).

Pancreatic cancer and gastrointestinal oncologist Dr. King, assistant professor at the Institute of Cancer Research at the Feinstein Institutes took home a Career Development Award (CDA). This award is given to clinical investigators to develop an independent cancer research program that focuses on patient-oriented research, including clinical studies or translational research.

“As a clinical researcher, my focus is on patients; how we can diagnose their disease and get them the best-coordinated care they need as fast as possible," said Dr. King. “I am thankful for this recognition and encouraged to continue advancing my research and improving the lives of my patients and many others.”

Dr. Boisclair, currently a third-year hematology/oncology fellow at Northwell, received a Young Investigator Award (YIA) for clinical research in leukemia. This award is given to promising clinical oncology investigators transitioning from fellowship to faculty roles. As she prepares to join Northwell faculty as a member of the Bone Marrow Transplant/Cellular Therapy team, this award acknowledges her initiative in spearheading research to improve treatment outcomes and patient quality of life.

“Receiving a 2024 Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award fills me with profound gratitude,” said Dr. Boisclair. “It inspires me to continue advancing my clinical and research journey.”

Dr. Hornstein, an incoming faculty member to Northwell and The Feinstein Institutes, also received a YIA for clinical research in colorectal cancer. He aims to better understand individual patient’s tumor microenvironments to personalize therapies.

“Treatment options for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer should not be one size fits all, we owe it to them to improve our understanding of this disease and develop more effective and personalized treatments,” said Dr. Hornstein.

“We are incredibly proud of Drs. Boisclair, King and Hornstein's achievements and dedication to their research and clinical careers," said Richard D. Carvajal, MD, deputy physician-in-chief and director of medical oncology at Northwell Health Cancer Institute. “With this support and recognition, Drs. Boisclair, King and Hornstein will continue to meaningfully impact the lives of our patients with cancer and move the needle regarding cancer care and research.”

Most recently, Dr. King, along with his colleagues Sandeep Nadella, MD and Tiffany Zavadsky, NP, RN, developed an artificial intelligence-enabled diagnostic tool called iNav, to analyze high volumes of CT and MRI scan reports — more than 10,000 abdominal scans per week to improve diagnosis and speed up care. This AI tool took home the top prize of $500,000 in Northwell's internal “Shark Tank”-like 2023 Innovation Challenge to further fund and research the clinical care tool.

Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, funds research for every type of cancer. ASCO was created in 1964 and is now a global network of nearly 45,000 cancer professionals.

About the Feinstein Institutes

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50 research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its five institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, and molecular medicine. We make breakthroughs in genetics, oncology, brain research, mental health, autoimmunity, and are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – a new field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.