Dr. Antoni Ribas, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Tumor Immunology & Immunotherapy Program, was named the 17th Annual Weinman Award recipient in recognition of his pioneering research that led to the development of novel and effective therapies for patients with metastatic melanoma, a disease once considered untreatable.
The honor recognizes Ribas’ contributions to the field of cancer immunotherapy, including research that has transformed the treatment landscape for melanoma and other cancers by harnessing the body’s immune system to fight disease.
As a global leader in cancer research, Ribas has played a pivotal role in advancing checkpoint inhibitor therapies and developing strategies to overcome resistance to immunotherapy. His work has not only extended survival for patients with advanced melanoma but has also paved the way for new therapeutic approaches across multiple cancer types.
Among these are several cancer therapies now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including the anti-CTLA-4 antibody tremelimumab; combinations of BRAF and MEK inhibitors such as vemurafenib and cobimetinib, as well as dabrafenib and trametinib; and the immunotherapy pembrolizumab, which has since been approved for use in more than 25 cancer indications.
“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized for work that reflects the collaboration and dedication of so many colleagues and patients who have made these advances possible,” said Ribas, who is also the director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Center at UCLA.
The award is presented annually during the Weinman Symposium at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center’s Sullivan Conference Center to honor individuals whose work has made a significant impact on cancer research and treatment. As part of the honor, Ribas will deliver the keynote Weinman lecture during the symposium on Jan. 21-23.
