In recognition of his many contributions to scientific discoveries in the diagnosis and treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), Michael E. Williams, MD, associate director for clinical affairs at UVA Cancer Center, recently received the inaugural Mantle Cell Lymphoma Leadership Award presented by the Lymphoma Research Foundation.
Williams was honored during the 2021 LRF Mantle Cell Lymphoma Scientific Workshop on April 7. In a video tribute, scientists and physicians worldwide lauded his successful career, dedication to lymphoma research and the many ways he has shaped the approach to treating MCL.
“[Dr. Williams] is bright, humble, sincere, someone who asks the right questions at the right time and he has a very critical mind. In my judgement, there is no one more qualified to receive this honor because of all of the things he contributed and did for the field,” says Mayo Clinic Rochester hematologist Thomas Haberman, MD, past chair of the LRF Scientific Advisory Board and member of the LRF Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium (MCLC).
Williams’ research interests are in novel therapeutic approaches for non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), MCL, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including targeted agents and immunotherapies. He serves on the LRF Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and MCLC and as Co-Chair for the LRF Oral Therapies in Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Scientific Workshop series. He is a member of the European Mantle Cell Lymphoma Network and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Lymphoma Core Committee.