2024 Major Awards

ISCT 2024 MAJOR AWARDS RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

The ISCT Major Awards are the highest honour bestowed by the Society to recognize the outstanding achievements and extraordinary contributions of individuals to the field of cell and gene therapy globally. 

This year, we are excited to introduce the inaugural Technologist Career Achievement & Leadership Award to recognize a remarkable technologist who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and is an inspiration to their peers.

On behalf of the global ISCT community, we congratulate all our 2024 Major Award Winners. Join us at 
ISCT 2024 in Vancouver, Canada where we will honour and celebrate these extraordinary members.

ISCT Career Achievement
Award in Cell & Gene Therapy

Mark Lowdell, PhD
United Kingdom
CSO and Co-Founder, InMuneBio, Professor of Cell & Tissue Therapy, University College London

Darwin J. Prockop
Mentoring Award

Daniel J. Weiss, MD, PhD
United States
Professor of Medicine, Affiliate Professor of Bioengineering, University of Vermont

Le Prix Luc Sensebé
in Innovation and Leadership Award

David DiGiusto, PhD
United States
Principal, DiGiusto Consulting LLC

Early Stage Professional (ESP)
Spirit of ISCT Award Recommendation

Ashley Krull, PhD
United States
Associate Director of Cell Therapy Manufacturing and Engineering, Assistant Professor in Hematology, The Ohio State University

ISCT Trailblazer Award
for Emerging Markets 

Chin Sze Piaw, MD
Malaysia
Adjunct Professor and Honorary Fellow, Centre for Stem Cell Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University TunkuAbdul Rahman

Technologist Career Achievement
and Leadership Award

Paul Eldridge, PhD
United States
Scientific Director, Transplant & Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Department of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Levine Cancer Institute

ISCT Annual Meeting Awards

The Best Poster Award is voted on by the Organizing Committee of the Annual Meeting. It recognizes a poster which presents outstanding and novel research that contributes to the development of the cell and gene therapy field. The Award provides a $1500 stipend to attend the annual meeting.

2023 (Paris)

2022 (San Francisco)

2021 (New Orleans)

  • Winner: Perenlei Enkhbaatar, MD, PhD (USA)

2020 (Paris)

2019 (Melbourne)

2018 (Montreal)

The Early Stage Professionals Awards are presented to three outstanding scholars at the ISCT Annual Meeting. The merit-based award is given to the presenter of the three highest scoring abstracts being presented by early stage professionals. Abstracts are scored through a blinded peer-review process. The award provides a $1,000 stipend to attend the annual meeting.

Eligibility Requirements 

An early stage professional is classified as anyone within 10 years of having completed their terminal degree or within 10 years of having entered the field of cell and gene therapy.

2023 (Paris)

2022 (San Francisco)

2021 (New Orleans)

  • Tom Wyrobnik, PhD (Singapore)
  • Sabiha Hacibekiroglu, PhD (Canada)
  • Vanessa Fabrizio, MD (USA)

2020 (Paris)

  • Jun Xu, PhD (USA)
  • Khaled Sanber, MD, PhD (USA)
  • Raniero Chimienti, PhD (Italy)

2019 (Melbourne)

2018 (Montreal)

  • Sabiha Hacibekiroglu, PhD (Canada)
  • Miriel Ho, PhD (Canada)
  • Claudia Raggi, MD, PhD (Canada)

2017 (London)

2016 (Singapore)

2015 (Las Vegas)

  • Mona Elmacken, MD (USA)
  • Lisa Holmes, BSc (Hons) (Australia)
  • Sharon Lam, PhD (USA)

2014 (Paris)

2013 (Auckland)

2012 (Seattle)

  • Nasser Aghdami, MD (Iran)
  • Jennifer Eileen Adair, PhD (USA)
  • Michelle Kreke, PhD (USA)

2011 (Rotterdam)

2010 (Philadelphia)

  •  Shoba Amarnath, PhD (USA)

The Technologist Abstract Awards are presented to three technologists at the ISCT annual meetings. The merit-based award is given to the presenter of each of the three highest scoring abstracts submitted by technologists. The Award provides a $1000 stipend to attend the annual meeting.

Eligibility Requirements 

Eligibility for the Technologist Abstract Award requires the presenter to hold a technical designation (e.g. MLS(ASCP) or equivalent). Technologist award recipients are employed in technical laboratory settings. The recipient must be an ISCT member.

2023 (Paris)

2022 (San Francisco)

2021 (New Orleans)

2020 (Paris)

  • Zhuoer Lin, PhD (USA)
  • Hyunjung Park, PhD (Korea)
  • Rui Tostoes, PhD (USA)

2019 (Melbourne)

  • Kaori Okada, PharmD (USA)
  • Sharon Ng Wah Suet, MSc (China)
  • Kap-Hyoun Ko, PhD (Australia)

2018 (Montreal)

  • Holly Anderson, BSc (USA)
  • Alexander Johnston, PhD (Canada)
  • Kyung-Phil Kim, BSc (Canada)

2017 (London)

2016 (Singapore)

  • Savatey Hak (Malaysia)
  • Pappanaicken Kumar, PhD (USA)
  • Phuc Pham, PhD (Vietnam)

2015 (Las Vegas)

2014 (Paris)

2013 (Auckland)

  • Lisa Kaminskis (Australia)
  • Elizabeth Scheid (Canada)

2012 (Seattle)

2011 (Rotterdam)

  • Cornelis A.M. van Bergen, PhD (Netherlands)

2010 (Philadelphia)

  • Amy Putnam, BSc (USA)

The Emerging Economy Abstract Award is granted to the top scoring abstract being presented by an author residing in a developing economy (LMIC as defined by the World Bank).

2023 (Paris)

2022 (San Francisco)

2021 (New Orleans)

  • Martha Arango-Rodriguez, PhD (Colombia)

2020 (Paris)

  • Hossein Baharvand, PhD (Iran)

2019 (Melbourne)

    The recipient will be selected and awarded a prize of $1,500 USD at each ISCT annual meeting.

    2023 (Paris)

    2022 (San Francisco)

    2021 (New Orleans)

    2020 (Paris)

    • Anusha Shankar, MSc, MD (Netherlands)

    2019 (Melbourne)

    • Yohei Sato, MD, PhD (Japan)

    2020 (Paris)

    2023 (Paris)

    2021 (New Orleans)

    2020 (Paris)

    • Karoliina Pelttari, PhD (Switzerland)

    2023 (Paris)

    2022 (San Francisco)

    2021 (New Orleans)

    2020 (Paris)

    2023 (Paris)

    2022 (San Francisco)

    2021 (New Orleans)

    2023 (Paris)

    2022 (San Francisco)

      2023 (Paris)

      2022 (San Francisco)

      2020 (Paris)

      2022 (San Francisco)

        2023 (Paris)

        2022 (San Francisco)

          ISCT Regional Awards

          2018 (Sydney)

          GE Best Poster Award, $1000 AUD:
          Kap-Hyoun Ko, PhD (AU)

          Gilead Oral Abstract Award, $1000 AUD:
          David Bishop, MBBS, BMedSc(Hons), FRACP, FRCPA (AU)

          Novartis Oral Abstract Award, $1000 AUD:
          Kajal Chaudhry, PhD (AU)

          2022 (Rio de Janeiro)

          RICARDO RIBEIRO DOS SANTOS BEST ORAL PRESENTATION AWARD, $250 USD:

          • Karina Ribeiro Da Silva Pereira (Brazil)
          • Marlon Lemos Dias (Brazil)

          RICARDO RIBEIRO DOS SANTOS BEST POSTER PRESENTATION AWARD, $250 USD:

          • Emmanuel Arthur Albuquerque Aragao (Brazil)
          • Lucas Pari Mitre (Brazil)

          2018 (São Paulo)

          ABTCel Abstract Award:

          • Flavia Franco da Cunha, PhD (Brazil), received complimentary 1-year ISCT E-membership
          • Pedro Giglio, MD (Brazil), received complimentary 1-year ISCT E-membership
          • Iasmin Orge, received complimentary ISCT 2019 Annual Meeting registration

          2023 (Houston)

          Technologist Abstract Award, $500 USD:
          Luke Haines, MBE (USA)

          Early Stage Professional Abstract Award, $500 USD:
          Devin McAvoy, BSc (USA)

          2019 (Madison)

          Technologist Abstract Award, $500 USD:
          Todd Maguire, BSc (USA)

          Early Stage Professional Abstract Award, $500 USD:
          Jayeeta Giri, PhD (USA)

          2016 (Memphis)

          Technologist Abstract Award, $500 USD:
          Guoling Chen, MD (USA)
          Deborah Lamontagne (USA)

          2013 (Philadelphia)

          Technologist Abstract Award, $500 USD:
          Steve Konings, MSc (USA)

          Young Investigator Abstract Award, $500 USD:
          Raghavan Chinnadurai, PhD (USA)

          2018 (Florence)

          Best Oral Abstract Award, $500 USD:
          Nathalie Cools, PhD (Belgium)

          Best Poster Abstract Award, $500 USD:
          Alice Davies, MbChB MRCP (UK)

          JACIE 20th Anniversary Recognition Award:
          Riccardo Saccardi, MD (Italy)