Mayo Clinic’s Tobias Peikert, MD, Becomes Chair of Mesothelioma Organization’s Science Advisory Board
Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) October 26, 2015 -- The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) is pleased to announce that Tobias Peikert, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, has taken on the role of its Science Advisory Board’s chair.
The Meso Foundation’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) is comprised of doctors and researchers who work within the mesothelioma field around the world. Members of the SAB are expected to review and score the applications submitted for research grants. Essentially, they are the “peers” in the Meso Foundation’s “peer-reviewed” mesothelioma research funding.
The SAB ensures that grant applications submitted to the Meso Foundation are evaluated through a process that is fair, equitable, timely and free of bias. SAB members are expected to attend the Meso Foundation’s annual symposia, raise awareness of mesothelioma, and encourage those affected by the disease to join the Meso Foundation. All SAB members are volunteers, who are called upon for expert opinions and advice on scientific matters on behalf of the Meso Foundation.
“We have enjoyed a close working relationship over the years with Dr. Peikert and he shares our vision for the continued growth of our scientific endeavors on behalf of those affected by mesothelioma,” said the executive director of the Meso Foundation, Mary Hesdorffer, APRN.
Dr. Tobias Peikert is a consultant in the Departments of Medicine, Immunology and Molecular Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and holds the academic rank of Assistant Professor of Medicine. He is a previous V-Scholar and his current research program is centered on the potential therapeutic use of a modified vaccine strain measles virus (MV-NIS) for the treatment of mesothelioma. Dr. Peikert holds a K23 career development award from the National Cancer Institute and is the principal investigator of a phase 1 study exploring the safety of intrapleural administration of MV-NIS in mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor of the lining of the lung, abdomen, or heart known to be caused by exposure to asbestos. With the life expectancy of less than one year after diagnosis, medical experts consider it one of the most aggressive and deadly of all cancers. An estimated one-third of those who develop mesothelioma were exposed while serving in the Navy or working in shipyards. Currently, few treatment options exist. There is no cure.
ABOUT THE MESOTHELIOMA APPLIED RESEARCH FOUNDATION
The Meso Foundation is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma and easing the suffering caused by this cancer. The Meso Foundation actively seeks philanthropic support to fund mesothelioma research; provide patient support services and education; and advocate Congress for increased federal funding for mesothelioma research. The Meso Foundation is the only non-government funder of peer-reviewed scientific research to develop life-saving treatments for this extremely aggressive cancer. To date, the Foundation has awarded over $9 million to research. More information is available at http://www.curemeso.org.
Maja Belamaric, Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, http://www.curemeso.org, +1 (703) 879-3822, [email protected]
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