IRVING, Texas and PHOENIX, Dec. 14, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Caris Diagnostics ("Caris Dx") and Arizona State University ("ASU") are pleased to announce that George Poste, D.V.M., Ph.D, D.Sc., F.R.S. was named the 2009 recipient of the prestigious Scrip Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Poste, who is Vice-Chairman and Chief Scientific Advisor of Caris Dx and also leads ASU's Complex Adaptive Systems Initiative, accepted the honor during the 5th Annual Scrip Awards ceremony in London on November 18th, hosted by Scrip World Pharmaceutical News.
The internationally-renowned Scrip Awards acknowledge outstanding achievements in the pharmaceutical, biotech and allied industries. An esteemed panel of judges comprised of independent industry experts from around the world selected Dr. Poste for his nearly four decades of research accomplishments spanning academia, industry, and government.
"I am deeply honored to have received such a distinguished award. A career in science offers the opportunity to learn something new every day, so it is humbling to be recognized for something that has provided me with so much personal reward," said Dr. Poste. Poste said he was excited to be adding new dimensions to his career through his efforts with Caris Dx and ASU. Caris Dx is developing new molecular diagnostic tests for the improved detection and treatment selection of cancer and is forging new vistas in personalized healthcare, while ASU is setting new standards for biologically-inspired design and understanding of complex adaptive systems.
From 2003 to 2008, Dr. Poste directed the Biodesign Institute at ASU, which fuses multiple scientific research disciplines to solve urgent problems affecting human health and the environment. Dr. Poste established the strategic direction of the Institute, oversaw design of its award-winning facilities, achieved cumulative research funding of $225 million for the program, and recruited more than 60 faculty members, including three members of the National Academies of Science and Engineering. Most recently, Dr. Poste launched ASU's Complex Adaptive Systems Initiative to leverage key university research strengths against complex global challenges in healthcare, environmental sustainability and national security. He is also a Regents' Professor and the Del E Webb Chair in Health Innovation at ASU.
In 2006, Dr. Poste joined the Board of Directors at Caris Dx as Vice-Chairman and Chief Scientific Advisor. Caris Dx is a leading provider of integrated anatomic pathology and oncology testing services, including molecular profiling and hematopathology.
In addition to honoring Dr. Poste's work with Caris Dx and ASU, the Award Committee cited Dr. Poste's previous accomplishments. Dr. Poste's studies on clonal diversity in tumors, in the 1970s and 1980s, provided new, important conceptual insights into tumor cell heterogeneity. In 1981, Dr. Poste accepted the Research Director role at SmithKline and French (later SmithKline Beecham and GlaxoSmithKline), where he later became the President of R&D, Chief Science and Technology Officer and a Member of the Board. During his tenure at SmithKline Beecham, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, Dr. Poste oversaw the successful registration of 31 drug, vaccine and diagnostic products and the launch of a global program for eradication of lymphatic filariasis. Dr. Poste retired from SmithKline Beecham in 2000. Dr. Poste has published over 350 research papers and edited 14 books on pharmaceutical technologies and oncology. He has received honorary degrees in science, law and medicine for his research contributions and was honored in 1999 by HM Queen Elizabeth II as a Commander of the British Empire for his contributions to international security. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal College of Pathologists and the UK Academy of Medicine, a Distinguished Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University and a member of the Council for Foreign Relations. He is a member of the Defense Science Board and Health Board of the US Department of Defense (DoD) and the US Institute of Medicine Board on Global Health. He Chaired the DoD Task Force on Bioterrorism and the newly launched DoD Task Force on Synthetic Biology.
In addition to his roles as Vice-Chairman and Chief Scientific Advisor at Caris Dx, he is Chief Scientist, Complex Adaptive Systems Initiative (CASI) at Arizona State University. He also serves on boards for Monsanto, Exelixis and Synthetic Genomics and as an advisor to Burrill & Co.
About Caris Diagnostics
Caris Dx is a U.S.-based biosciences company specializing in the development and commercialization of clinically-validated molecular diagnostics and anatomic pathology services primarily in the fields of oncology, dermatopathology, hematopathology and gastrointestinal pathology. The company provides academic-caliber medical consults through its industry-leading team of subspecialty fellowships and expert-trained pathologists in gastrointestinal and liver pathology, dermatopathology and hematopathology. Caris Dx also offers advanced molecular analyses of patient samples through prognostic testing services and genomic and proteomic profiling to assist physicians in their treatment of cancer and other complex diseases. Biopsies from more than 2,700 patients are received daily for analysis by Caris from physicians nationally. Formed in 1996, the company is headquartered in Irving, Texas and operates four laboratories: Irving, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona (2 sites) and Newton, Massachusetts. Additional information is available at www.carisdx.com.
About Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a creating a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application, blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 64,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.