PHOENIX, ARIZ, September 17, 2024 – Dr. Nader Sanai, Director of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center, Chief of Neurosurgical Oncology at Barrow Neurological Institute, and the Francis & Dionne Professor of Neurological Surgery, has been recognized as the 2024 Arizona Bioscience Researcher of the Year by the Arizona Bioindustry Association. He will receive the award at the 20th Annual AZBio Awards on Wednesday, September 18 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Dr. Sanai is being honored for his pioneering spirit and commitment to push beyond the status quo to discover new therapies for his brain tumor patients.
Dr. Nader Sanai
Director of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center
Chief of Neurosurgical Oncology
at Barrow Neurological Institute
Francis & Dionne Professor of Neurological Surgery
The Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute was established in 2018. Since then, Dr. Sanai has built a team of the best and brightest minds from around the world, all focused on a singular goal – to find a cure for brain cancer. In six years, under Dr. Sanai’s leadership, the Ivy Center has grown to 55 employees, engaged more than 50 biotech and biopharma partnerships, tested dozens of experimental therapies and launched a global Phase 3 clinical trial.
As a neurosurgeon and principal investigator, Dr. Sanai pioneered the world’s largest Phase 0 clinical trials program where he facilitates early-phase drug studies in operating rooms and the laboratories.
“Throughout his career, Dr. Nader Sanai has worked to find better solutions for patients faced with life-threatening conditions. His commitment to patients extends to pushing the boundaries in brain cancer research and treatment with cutting-edge, experimental studies never seen before in the field of neuro-oncology,” says Joan Koerber-Walker, president & CEO of the Arizona Bioindustry Association, Inc. “For people living with brain tumors, speedy and effective treatment is essential. On behalf of those patients, and on behalf of our health innovation community, we are pleased to honor Dr. Nader Sanai as Arizona Bioscience Researcher of the Year.”
Dr. Robert F. Spetzler, a world-renowned neurosurgeon and former president and CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute, will introduce and present the award to Dr. Sanai at the AZBio Awards ceremony. Dr. Spetzler mentored Dr. Sanai when he served as Dr. Spetzler’s skull base and cerebrovascular fellow in 2009, subsequently recruiting him to lead Barrow’s brain tumor program.
“I am so proud that Dr. Sanai has received the Arizona Bioscience Researcher of the Year award for he so exemplifies the physician-researcher that drives improvement in patient care,” says Dr. Spetzler, Emeritus President of Barrow. “With his brilliant clinical trials and tumor research in the Ivy laboratories leading to new and promising therapy for malignant brain tumors, his accomplishments are appropriately recognized with this prestigious award.“
Today, as one of the nation’s highest-volume brain tumor neurosurgeons, Dr. Sanai has completed more than 4,500 brain tumor operations, authored 300+ peer-reviewed research studies, and delivered more than 200 national and international lectures.
“It’s an honor to be named the Arizona Bioscience Researcher of the Year,” says Dr. Sanai. “This award is a credit to not only the people who make the Ivy Center the success that it has become, it’s a testament to the unwavering support and collaboration of the Arizona bioscience industry. Thank you for this recognition and for encouraging and inspiring Arizona investigators like me to keep pushing towards scientific breakthroughs.”
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About AZBio
Founded in 2003, the Arizona Bioindustry Association, Inc. (AZBio) supports life science innovation and life science innovators in Arizona. A key component in Arizona’s life science ecosystem, AZBio is the only statewide organization exclusively focused on Arizona’s bioscience industry. AZBio membership includes patient advocacy organizations, life science innovators, educators, healthcare partners, philanthropists, and leading business organizations. AZBio members employ over 345,000 Arizonans.
About the AZBio Awards
Now in its 20th year, the AZBio Awards honors leaders from across the state of Arizona that illustrate the depth and breadth of our life science industry. The 20th annual AZBio Awards will take place at the Phoenix Convention Center on September 18, 2024.
About Ivy Brain Tumor Center
Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ, is a tertiary care and nonprofit translational research program that employs bold, early-phase clinical trial strategies to identify new treatments for aggressive brain tumors, including glioblastoma. Our leading experts in neurosurgical oncology, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, neuroradiology, neuropathology and neuroscience nursing treat more patients annually than any other brain tumor center in the United States. The Ivy Center’s Phase 0 clinical trials program is the largest in the world and enables personalized care in a fraction of the time and cost associated with traditional drug development. In addition, unlike conventional clinical trials focusing on single drugs, the Ivy Center’s accelerated program tests therapeutic combinations matched to individual patients. We leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of hope and healing. Learn more at IvyBrainTumorCenter.org. Follow the Ivy Brain Tumor Center on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Media Contact
Jennifer Keeler
Ivy Brain Tumor Center
Jennifer.Keeler@ivybraintumorcenter