Ohio State has presented Dr. Michael Caligiuri with the Distinguished Scholar Award in recognition of his excellent research aimed at developing a cure for leukemia.
Recognized internationally for his research in cellular and molecular biology, Caligiuri is also known for the ability to translate his discoveries into advancements in clinical cancer therapy.
Caligiuri came to OSU five years ago from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y.
He is the associate director for clinical research at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the director of hematology and oncology in the department of internal medicine and a professor in the department of medical microbiology and immunology. He also runs his own lab in the medical research facility, where he is a mentor to students.
Caligiuri is one of 10 children born in Buffalo, and he comes from a family lacking professionals. As an undergraduate, Caligiuri studied science and the humanities at the State University of New York in Buffalo. After graduating he traveled to Italy, where he spent one year studying history of art and Italian opera before going to Stanford to attend medical school.
He spent five years in medical school at Stanford, studying and teaching respiratory physiology for the first three years and doing clinical work for the last two years. After finishing at Stanford he traveled to Italy again. This time he stayed at the Vatican, studying the history of baroque art.
After his stay at the Vatican, Caligiuri went to Harvard, where he spent eight years as a training physician and scientist and ultimately became a faculty member. At Harvard he met his future wife Ana Maria, who is from Puerto Rico. She got him interested in Spanish and taught him the language. They started their family soon thereafter, and now have three children.
Caligiuri said his goal early in life was to be an inner-city pediatrician, a far stretch from his present situation.
“While in medical school at Stanford I encountered a patient who was rejecting his transplanted kidney. The doctors put him on some new anti-rejection medication, and he ended up keeping his kidney,” Caligiuri said.
“I thought that was the neatest thing, to be able to trick old Mother Nature into believing a foreign organ did in fact belong to the patient, by understanding medication and the immune system,” he said.
The experience changed everything for him, and he decided to devote his future to clinical research so he could directly impact the advancements of patient care, he said.
“I sought higher academic goals to better understand the basics of how the immune system works and cancer develops, and have continued to pursue innovative immune therapies for patients with cancer since,” Caligiuri said.
Caligiuri said he has been uniquely trained to translate the discoveries of his research into advancements in therapy for the clinic, where he hands it off to outstanding clinicians. This training carries over into his mentoring of students.
“My niche in this world is to train physician-scientists that want to be able to take the discoveries we are making from the bench to the bedside of clinical work,” he said
By researching the cellular and molecular aspects of the immune system, Caligiuri said his lab is able to identify the molecular defects associated with leukemia.
“Essentially, we are trying to find the broken switches that cause cells to grow out of control and become cancerous. Once those are found we work with industry to develop drugs that effectively turn the switches off,” he said.
Sherif Farag, an associate professor of hematology, said Caligiuri runs an excellent lab where research is helping Ohio State become one of the premier cancer research centers in the nation and world.
Caligiuri has been mentoring students at many levels since 1996, Farag said.
Megan Cooper, a medical student, was mentored by Caligiuri.
“Unlike some researchers, he is enthusiastic towards his students and enjoys having them around the lab,” she said.
“He recognizes students as an important part of his career, and sees them as making him and his work better,” Cooper said.
“Dr. Caligiuri gives students a lot of opportunities, pushes them to publish quality work in prominent journals and really wants them to succeed. His work ethic is very strong, and he always does whatever he can to ensure students get moving in the proper directions,” Cooper said.
David Schuller, director of the James Cancer Research Institute, said Caligiuri has been a tremendous addition to the cancer research team at Ohio State.
“He is a world class researcher, a tremendous mentor and effective diplomat for the institute,” he said.
Caligiuri received a $3,000 honorarium and $20,000 research grant through funds generated by the Alumni Association upon being named a distinguished scholar.
