The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) Honors 2023 Research Achievement Awardees, Dr. Maria-Victoria Mateos and Dr. Thomas Martin

LOS ANGELES, June 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Robert A. Kyle Achievement Award and Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award. The in-person awards ceremony will be held on June 8, Thursday at the 14^th Annual International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) Summit in Frankfurt, Germany.

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The Kyle and Durie Achievement Awards are presented each year to outstanding and deserving individuals who have made significant contributions in the field of myeloma research.

IMF Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Brian G.M. Durie, who also chairs the 2023 IMWG Summit, emphasized that “it is indeed a great honor to be able to present these prestigious awards in person at this year’s summit—in the presence of so many colleagues, friends, and family.”

This year’s Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Awardee is Maria-Victoria Mateos, MD, PhD, Head of Myeloma and Clinical Trials Unit at the Haematology Department and Professor of Medicine at the University of Salamanca, Spain.

Dr. Mateos serves as coordinator of the Spanish Myeloma Group, Grupo Español de Mieloma (GEM), with direct involvement in the design and development of clinical trials. She has coordinated many clinical trials, especially in the setting of transplant ineligible and smoldering myeloma—these trials have profoundly influenced current options for the management of these patient populations. She has published over 400 papers in international journals with an H index of 96.

Dr. Mateos is also a member of the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), the International Myeloma Society (IMS), the European Hematology Association (EHA), and the American Society of Hematology (ASH). She served on the ASH Scientific Committee on plasma cell diseases between 2015-2019 and on the EHA’s Scientific Program Committee and Advisory Board from 2013-2020. In 2019, she became chair of the Scientific Program Committee.

She has been a Councilor on the EHA Board since 2015 for a four-year mandate and is now a member of the IMS Executive Board, a member of the European School of Haematology (ESH) Scientific Committee and a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Scientific Program Committee.

Recognized for her excellence in myeloma research, Dr. Mateos received the Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award in 2019 and the IMS Bart Barlogie Clinical Investigator Award in 2022. She is currently the President of the National Society of Hematology, elected since October 2022 for a four-year mandate.

“It is a great honor for me to be the recipient of the Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award, with the name of the FATHER of myeloma. Prof. Kyle has dedicated his life to myeloma research. He has educated many doctors in myeloma, but he’s always been focused on patient-centered care. These are the three pillars that inspire me in my career every day and I am committed to continuing this legacy for younger generations of doctors,” said Dr. Mateos.

Dr. Kyle commended Dr. Mateos for this outstanding achievement: “I am very pleased that you were selected as the 2023 Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Awardee. You have made many important contributions to multiple myeloma and the dysproteinemias over the years. I am certain that you will continue with your contributions to the field in the future. Keep up the good work!”

“I am thrilled that Dr. Mateos is the 2023 Robert A. Kyle Awardee. As a highly accomplished and talented myeloma researcher, and as the first woman to receive the Kyle Award in 23 years, Dr. Mateos richly deserves this year’s award,” said IMF Founder and Director of Global Patient Initiatives Susie Novis Durie.

This year’s Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Awardee is Thomas G. Martin, III MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine; Associate Chief of Adult Hematology, Blood Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy (HBC); Co-Director of the Myeloma Program; and Clinical Research Director of Hematologic Malignancies at UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center in San Francisco, California.

Dr. Martin earned a medical degree at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington, Connecticut. He completed internship and residency programs at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, CA, and a fellowship in hematology/oncology at UCSF Medical Center, where he was promoted to Adjunct Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. He was later appointed as Assistant Professor of Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. After several years, he returned as a faculty member at UCSF, where he continues to serve as Professor of Clinical Medicine.

A Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine with subspecialty certification in hematology, Dr. Martin is a member of the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the American Society of Hematology (ASH). He is currently the Director of the Hematology Malignancies Research Committee and Co-Director of the Myeloma Program at UCSF.

Dr. Martin’s research interests include investigating novel treatments for multiple myeloma. This includes early-phase trials of new drugs, novel combinations, and therapeutics to use with bone marrow transplantation. He has a special interest in antibody therapy for myeloma and has been involved in studies assessing the efficacy of CD38 antibody combinations in newly diagnosed as well as relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM).

Additionally, Dr. Martin leads the Immunotherapy Committee of the IMWG and directs the Transplant and Cell Therapy Clinical Program at UCSF. He is also involved in many other novel immunotherapies for the treatment of RRMM including pre-clinical investigations and clinical trials investigating the use of antibody drug conjugates and dual targeted “bispecific” antibodies as well as chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR T cell). He has authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed literature. Furthermore, Dr. Martin is a teacher, mentor, and a frequently invited speaker.

“I am sincerely humbled and flattered to be the recipient of the prestigious Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award. Dr. Durie has been an inspiration and a mentor, personally to me and to all of us in this field. His dedication to myeloma research and to the patients is unsurpassed, and it’s such an honor to receive this award in his name,” said Dr. Martin.

In turn, IMF Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Durie applauded Dr. Martin’s exceptional achievements: “As a myeloma researcher in the midst of a stellar career, it is wonderful to be able to celebrate Dr. Martin’s many accomplishments. He is a researcher, a teacher, and a doctor loved by his many patients for his knowledgeable and compassionate care—he is a true model for all young researchers in the field.”

IMF Patient, President & CEO Yelak Biru extends his warmest congratulations and appreciation to this year’s Kyle and Durie Achievement Awardees.

“The IMF is honored to have Dr. Mateos as this year’s Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Awardee, and Dr. Martin as this year’s Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Awardee.”

“Dr. Mateos’ pioneering work and groundbreaking discoveries have paved the way for new insights and innovative approaches in myeloma treatment. Her commitment to excellence, resilience, and tireless pursuit of knowledge have made a lasting impact on the myeloma community and beyond. As the first female recipient of this prestigious award, Dr. Mateos has become a role model for aspiring female scientists—proving that gender should never limit one’s potential for success in the pursuit of scientific excellence. We applaud Dr. Mateos’ exceptional achievements and celebrate this historic milestone with great pride.”

“The Brian G.M. Durie Award is a testament to Dr. Martin’s outstanding achievements —serving as an inspiration to the entire myeloma community. Dr. Martin’s relentless pursuit of knowledge, compassionate care for patients, and unwavering dedication to scientific advancement have profoundly impacted countless individuals’ lives,” said Yelak.

ABOUT THE IMF KYLE AND DURIE ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
The Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals whose work have resulted in significant advances in research, treatment, and care of myeloma patients. Dr. Robert A. Kyle (Mayo Clinic—Rochester, MN) is a world-renowned myeloma expert whose “groundbreaking research has led to the discovery of significant hematologic entities—monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM),” states the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

The Brian G.M. Durie Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes excellent achievements in multiple myeloma research. Professor of Medicine, Hematologist/Oncologist, and Honoree MD at the University of Brussels, Dr. Brian G.M. Durie is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Scientific Officer of the IMF. Dr. Durie is also the Chairman of the IMWG and leads the IMF’s Black Swan Research Initiative®(BSRI).

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION
Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is the first and largest global foundation focusing specifically on multiple myeloma. The Foundation’s reach extends to more than 525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas: research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In 2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative®, a groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website is www.myeloma.org.

Media Contacts:

Peter Anton
Panton@myeloma.org

Jason London
Jlondon@myeloma.org