Wellesley Resident Receives National Medal of Science

WELLESLEY, MA - An investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital was one of a select group who received national honors for their work in the fields of science, technology and innovation.

Dr. Rakesh Jain, a Wellesley resident, was awarded a National Medal of Science by President Barack Obama at a special White House ceremony on Thursday.

Jain, the director of the Edwin L. Steele Laboratory for Tumor Biology in the Department of Radiation Oncology at MassGeneral, is the first investigator at the hospital to receive the award and the first staff member to be elected to all three branches of the National Academies: the National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine.

"Science and technology are fundamental to solving some of our nation’s biggest challenges," President Barack Obama said in a White House press release. "The knowledge produced by these Americans today will carry our country’s legacy of innovation forward and continue to help countless others around the world. Their work is a testament to American ingenuity."

Throughout his career, Jain has studied the microenvironment of cancerous tumors in the laboratory and in human trials. His research combines the fields of engineering, biology and medicine to determine innovative methods of overcoming the human body's resistance to drug delivery and efficacy.

Jain is perhaps most famous for proposing and validating the hypothesis that "normalizing the tumor vasculature" can improve the treatment outcome and survival of cancer patients. This concept can also be applied to improving the treatment of vascular disorders.

"I feel very grateful for my family and mentors who introduced me to this area of research," Jain said in a press release. "I also feel enormously grateful to the hundreds of patients who participated in more than 25 clinical trials that our laboratory has collaborated in, and who have made it possible for future patients to benefit from their efforts. Lastly, I am extremely grateful for research grants from the federal agencies and private foundations as well as philanthropic support, especially from the Cook and Steele families."

The National Medal of Science was established by statute in 1959 and is presented by the National Science Foundation. It is the nation's highest honor awarded to individuals who have contributed to the advancement of knowledge in the sciences.

Check out the video below for more information about Jain's work:

Photo courtesy of Massachusetts General Hospital