Fabrice Barlesi Selected to Receive the Heine H. Hansen Award by ESMO and IASLC

Fabrice Barlesi, MD, PhD

Fabrice Barlesi, MD, PhD

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in conjunction with the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) has selected Fabrice Barlesi, MD, PhD, to receive the 2018 Heine H. Hansen (HHH) Award. Barlesi will be presented with the award at the 2018 European Lung Cancer Congress (ELCC), which will be held April 11-14 in Geneva, Switzerland, where he will also give a keynote lecture entitled “The power of the multiple H.”

Barlesi is a professor of medicine at the University of Aix Marseille and head of the Multidisciplinary Oncology and Therapeutic Innovations Department at Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille in France; he also leads the Early Phase Cancer Trials Centre of Marseille CLIP2.

Currently, he is also serving as associate editor for the IASLC Lung Cancer News and was previously part of the lung scientific committee of the 2017 ESMO Congress.

After studying at the University of Aix Marseille followed by a fellowship at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Canada, and the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Barlesi focused his research on lung cancer.

Barlesi’s main interests include research on multimodal treatments, angiogenesis, bio-guided therapies, and immuno-oncology. He has authored or co-authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications and serves on the Board of Directors of the French Cooperative Thoracic Intergroup (IFCT).

Much of Barlesi’s success can be attributed to his mentor, Jean-Pierre Kleisbauer, MD. Barlesi spoke of Kleisbauer in a statement, where he said, “Like Heine Hansen, he initiated the fight to demonstrate that [patients with] lung cancer deserve better than just the best supportive care standard.”

Barlesi also recognized other pioneers in the field that have helped influence his career. He said, “I also want to mention Frances Shepherd, who deeply changed my professional life when I was a young fellow in Toronto—her vast knowledge and incredible willpower will remain an example until the end of my career. Pascal Thomas, one of the most brilliant thoracic surgeons I know, deserves special thanks for our many discussions about the multidisciplinary management of [patients with] lung cancer.”

The HHH Award is given in honor of Heine H. Hansen, MD, PhD, who made lifetime contributions to the field of lung cancer. Recipients of this award are investigators that have made monumental contributions to the field.

Barlesi said, “I feel very grateful and honored to receive this award from ESMO and IASLC. It is an acknowledgement of the work done in the last 20 years, not just by myself, but by the wonderful teams at Aix Marseille University, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille. I believe this award also recognizes the contribution made by the French Thoracic Intergroup to the field of lung cancer research. It will be a source of encouragement to all of our teams for years to come."

Past president of ESMO and current ELCC Steering Committee member, Fortunato Ciardiello, MD, PhD, said, “Fabrice Barlesi is emerging to be one of the top leaders in lung cancer clinical trials and biomarker research.” He further explained that the decision to select Barlesi was unanimous, considering his outstanding contributions to the field of translation that have led the pioneering Biomarkers France study.