2023 Awards

Awards will be presented at the 24th Annual World Congress in Milan, Italy.

See LIST OF PAST Award Recipients →

List of Awards

2023 Arthur M. Sutherland Award and Memorial Lecture

Barbara Andersen (USA) – 2023 WINNER

Dr Barbara Andersen has led outstanding work in the development of a biobehavioral model of cancer stress and intervention, with a focus on stress reduction, treatment adherence, and use of health behaviors that optimize coping and survivorship. Thus, her scholarship is foundational evidence for the use of cognitive-behavioral therapies in cancer care. She led a sterling implementation model that has trained and sustained health psychologists across 35 US states and other countries. Her early work on sexual adaptation after gynecological cancer also made a noteworthy impact. Barbara was a senior co-author with Jimmie Holland in developing the NCCN Distress Practice Guidelines. She has a wonderful reputation as a mentor and has generously supervised a very large number of HDR students, perhaps more so than any other academic internationally. The work of Professor Andersen stood out in term of its consistency throughout her career in the field of psycho-oncology. She first conducted a series of studies understanding the biobehavioral problems associated with cancer, then developing and testing relevant interventions through rigorous trial interventions, and subsequently devoting efforts in dissemination and implementation. Professor Andersen not only is extremely productive, but her work is meticulous which enables her to build a high quality of evidence on advancing our understanding of the biobehavioral dimensions of cancer. Her work is highly cited in the field with an H-index of 73. As noted, she has also made substantial contributions to our field as a mentor and through organizational activities.

The Arthur M. Sutherland Award honors an IPOS or psycho-oncology community member with a lifetime achievement in the field of psycho-oncology. This is a late career award and recognizes sustained and distinguished output in psycho-oncology over their whole career. This is the Society’s most important award and reflects the international standing of the recipient.

The recipient will have achieved international recognition for his/her work and be considered to have contributed important innovations to the field of psycho-oncology. Quantity of output is less important than evidence of international standing and innovation across an individual’s whole career. It is important that the nominator provides evidence in their letter of recommendation that the nominee meets these criteria. In addition, the nominator needs to provide two further letters of recommendation from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, which provide evidence that the nominee meets these criteria.

This award will be presented at the next IPOS World Congress of Psycho-Oncology. The award recipient will be invited to present an overview on a topic related to their research as part of a plenary session of the IPOS World Congress. 

The award recipient will be extended:

1. 2023 Arthur M. Sutherland Award and Memorial Lecture Award,
2. Opportunity to do a 15-minute presentation that overviews a topic related to their research as part of a plenary session at the 2023 IPOS World Congress,
3. Complimentary Conference Registration,
4. Additionally, the Sutherland Award recipient may be invited to publish an article in the NEW official journal of IPOS, Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice, at the discretion of the journal’s Editorial Board. 

Submission Requirements:

• Nominee’s curriculum vitae or resume
  
• Letter of nomination from the nominator, specifying why the nominee meets the award description above
  
• Two letters of support from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, also specifying why the nominee meets the award description above
• Photo of nominee in jpg format

2023 Bernard Fox Memorial Award

Anja Mehnert-Theuerkauf (Germany) – 2023 WINNER

Prof Mehnert-Theuerkauf has an outstanding record of achievement in advancing the scientific basis of the field of psycho-oncology through major epidemiologic studies and through her extensive collaborations across the globe. Her achievements have had significant international impact in our field and reflect her longstanding contribution across clinical research, education and academic leadership in psycho-oncology, including her significant support for IPOS over many years. Not only through her research but also through her appointments in many communities where she has been serving as an influential educator and mentor in this field. She has been committed to numerous national and international academic associations, including IPOS (board member and chair of several committees) and the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC).

The Bernard Fox Memorial Award honors an IPOS or psycho-oncology community member who has made an outstanding contribution in education or research to the field of psycho-oncology. The primary focus is on the academic and educational output of the nominee.

This is a mid to late career award, and the nominee may work as an educator, as a researcher and/or provide clear evidence of being a leader in his/her chosen area of psycho-oncology. It is important that the nominator provides evidence in his/her letter of recommendation that the nominee meets these criteria. In addition, the nominator needs to provide two further letters of recommendation from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, which provide evidence that the nominee meets these criteria.

This award will be presented at the next IPOS World Congress of Psycho-Oncology.

The award recipient will be extended:

1. 2023 Bernard Fox Memorial Award.
2. Invited to do a 15 minute presentation that overviews a topic related to their research as part of a plenary session at the 2023 IPOS World Congress.
3. Complimentary Conference Registration.

Submission Requirements:

• Nominee’s curriculum vitae or resume
• Letter of nomination from the nominator, specifying why the nominee meets the award description above
  
• Two letters of support from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, also specifying why the nominee meets the award description above
• Photo of nominee in jpg format

2023 Jimmie Holland Memorial Award

Maggie Watson (UK) – 2023 WINNER

Maggie Watson eminently merits to be given Jimmie Holland award based on her outstanding pioneering works in the area of psycho-oncology in the United Kingdom as well as globally. Her life-long commitment to psycho-oncology has been evident throughout her more than 30-year career. She is the founder of the British Psychosocial Oncology Society. As Co- Editor and then Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Psycho-Oncology, a journal that has aided the growth of the field psycho-oncology globally, she has initiated and participated in several wholesome activities jeered towards the development of psycho-oncology. She has brought the applied components of psychosocial oncology to the fore for the psychosocial oncology fraternity in such a way that is essential for the building up of the psycho-oncology team globally. Maggie Watson started the Journal of Psycho-Oncology with Jimmie Holland as Co-Editor, and worked so closely with her in her thoughts on the development of psycho-oncology in Africa. She has been a champion of research and academic rigour and her dedication to promotion of the careers of more junior researchers has been outstanding. She has been an active with IPOS and has consistently and graciously offers her input and support to researchers, educators, and clinicians throughout the world. She embodies the qualities of innovator and pioneer in psycho-oncology.

The Jimmie Holland Memorial Award honors an IPOS or psycho-oncology community member, recognized for making a unique contribution that is considered to be a highly creative or pioneering innovation or activity that advances the field of Psycho-oncology. The award is unique in its recognition of Jimmie Holland as a pioneer and chief innovator of our time, as well as for her enormous contribution as a mentor. 

This award is considered for nominees within early to senior levels of careers with documentation and support to provide clear evidence of what is “visionary or outside the box” about the activity and how it represents an outstanding idea or activity or line of work, within the chosen area of the field of psycho-oncology.

It is important that the nominator provide evidence in his/her letter of recommendation that the nominee meets the criteria. In addition, the nominator needs to provide two further letters of recommendation from other individuals to whom the nominee is known which, provides evidence that the nominee meets these criteria. 

The award recipient will be extended:

1. 2023 Jimmie Holland Memorial Award.
2. Invited to do a 5 minute presentation related to recipients specific enterprise or vision. Presentation will be during the either the President's or Awards Plenary at the 2023 IPOS World Congress.
3. Complimentary Conference Registration.

Submission Requirements:

• Letter of nomination from the nominator, specifying why the nominee meets the award description above
• Two letters of support from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, also specifying why the nominee meets the award description above.
• Photo of nominee in jpg format

2023 Noemi Fisman Award for Lifetime Clinical Excellence

Gil Goldzweig (Israel) – 2023 WINNER

Gil has a long history of clinical service in psychosocial oncology that exceeds 25 years. In his lengthy career he has developed several clinical innovations in the service to cancer patients, with a particular focus on the needs of elderly cancer patients and their caregivers. In the last half of his career he has also been active as a researcher, working in multiple areas including screening for distress. Notably, he has developed clinically in the underserved population of the elderly. Gil is an innovator and leader in clinical education, and a leader of psychosocial oncology in Israel.

The Noemi Fisman Award for Lifetime Clinical Excellence honors an IPOS or psycho-oncology community member in recognition of outstanding clinical contributions to the field of psycho-oncology. He/she must have served for a major proportion of his/her career as a clinician and be able to demonstrate novel, beneficial and substantial initiatives impacting directly on the care of patients and his/her families either through their own practice or practice developments.

Candidates must be licensed and have been actively practicing in the field of clinical psycho-oncology for a minimum of 20 years. The award focuses on the distinctive contribution made in developing services to patients and families. Innovation and sustained successful clinical service of outstanding character should be what distinguishes the recipient of this award. It is important that the nominator provide evidence in his/her letter of recommendation that the nominee meets these criteria. In addition, the nominator needs to provide two further letters of recommendation from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, which provide evidence that the nominee meets these criteria.

This award will be presented at the IPOS World Congress of Psycho-Oncology. 

The award recipient will be extended:

1. 2023 Noemi Fisman Award for Lifetime Clinical Excellence Award.
2. Invited to do a 5 minute presentation on your work during a plenary session at the 2023 IPOS World Congress.
3. Complimentary Conference Registration.

Submission Requirements:

• Nominee’s curriculum vitae or resume
• Letter of nomination from the nominator, specifying why the nominee meets the award description above
  
• Two letters of support from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, also specifying why the nominee meets the award description above
• Photo of nominee in jpg format

2023 Hiroomi & Setsuko Kawano New Investigator Award

William Rosa (USA) – 2023 WINNER

WOW. He is impressive. William has an extensive publication list (>150 pubs), many of which have him as first or senior author. The quality of the publications is notable. His research experience is significant and with a high interest in current psycho-oncology practice. If this award is to recognize "the level and quality of research output at this early career stage" then William fits!

The Hiroomi & Setsuko Kawano New Investigator Award honors a new investigator for outstanding research contributions in the field of psycho-oncology and is an early career award. Candidates must be within seven years of active work in psycho-oncology after completing his/her postgraduate, fellowship or equivalent specialist training (defined as a PhD or MD or equivalent). This award is sponsored by the Hiroomi Kawano Foundation in Japan.

The award is linked to professional attainment rather than to age. Recipients are distinguished by the level and quality of research output at this early career stage. It is important that the nominator provides evidence in his/her letter of recommendation that the nominee meets these criteria. In addition, the nominator needs to provide two further letters of recommendation from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, which provide evidence that the nominee meets these criteria.

This award will be presented at the IPOS World Congress of Psycho-Oncology. The award recipient may be asked to provide a brief overview of his/her work (5 minutes) at the IPOS World Congress.

The award recipient will be extended:

1. 2023 Hiroomi Kawano New Investigator Glass Award.
2. Invited to do a 5 minute presentation on your work during a plenary session at the 2023 IPOS World Congress.
3. Complimentary Conference Registration.

Submission Requirements:

• Nominee’s curriculum vitae or resume, with details of specific termination dates of degrees and post-graduate training
• Letter of nomination from the nominator, who must be an Active Member of IPOS or a full member of any national psycho-oncology society, specifying why the nominee meets the award description above
  
• Two letters of support from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, also specifying why the nominee meets the award description above
  
• A statement from the nominee, not to exceed 500 words, that highlights significant research accomplishments in the area of psycho-oncology
  
• Copies of up to four publications that represent the candidate’s research work
• Photo of nominee in jpg format

Society Distinguished Life Fellowship Award

The Society Distinguished Life Fellowship Award recognizes extraordinary and notable contributions to the organization and success of IPOS. This award is only for one who has made a singular contribution to the Society and its work. The Distinguished Life Fellowship Award is limited to past or present IPOS members.

The award shall carry with it Honorary Life Membership in IPOS, with a special plaque for the fellow. The award shall also include waived IPOS membership dues and the possibility of waived World Congress registration fees at the Congress at which the award is presented. Nominees should be, or have been, members of IPOS for at least 10 years and are not eligible if not a member within the past five years.

Nominations for this award can only be made by the IPOS Board of Directors.

The IPOS Awards Committee shall select recipients of IPOS awards. If no suitable nominations are received, no awards will be given.

President’s Community Award for Distinguished Contributions to IPOS

The President’s Community Award for Distinguished Contributions to IPOS is a discretionary award that is made to an individual, group or organization in the community that, in the opinion of the Board has made an outstanding contribution of great significant to the Society.

• Nominations are made by a member of the IPOS Board and all nominations must be seconded by two members of the Board and approved by a two-thirds of the Board.
  
• Given the special nature of this award, it is envisaged that it will be awarded only occasionally.
  
• The awardee shall receive a plaque and citation from the Board and s/he (or a representative, if an organization is the recipient) shall be invited to receive these at the World Congress. Congress fees maybe be waived on this occasion.

Awards Criteria

• All award nominations must include a completed and signed nomination form, a letter of nomination from the nominator, two letters of support for the nomination from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, the curriculum vitae or resume of the nominee, and any additional paperwork required by the specific award for which the individual is being nominated.
  
• Award recipients must be available to attend the IPOS World Congress at which the award is to be presented. Recipients are required to attend the 24th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology, August 31 to September 3, 2023, in Milan, Italy and will be invited to present during a plenary session. World Congress information can be found at https://ipos-society.org/professionals/congress.
• For all awards, consideration may be given for travel reimbursement and/or registration fee waiver, if required.
  
• Each award shall have a peer review panel consisting of at least: (a) one previous recipient of the award, (b) one member of the Federation, and (c) one member of the Awards Committee.
  
• An award recipient may receive only one Society award in any calendar year.
• No recipient of an IPOS Award shall be eligible for nomination to a second or subsequent award within a period of 10 years from the date of their previous award.
• The Society Treasurer shall review, ratify where required and advise on all financial recommendations and requests made by the Awards Committee.
• Nominees do NOT have to be current members of IPOS (although it is encouraged).
• Nominators MUST being either a current member of IPOS OR a member in good standing with their local national psychosocial oncology association.
• Specific criteria for each award are identified below.

HOW TO SUBMIT?

Submissions are to be done online. Before submitting a nomination online (only one nomination can be submitted at a time), please make sure you have the following ready:

1. Letter of nomination from the nominator, specifying why the nominee meets the award description being nominated to (PDF or Word).
2. Two letters of support from other individuals to whom the nominee is known, also specifying why the nominee meets the award being nominated to(PDF or Word).
3. Resume or CV of nominee with details of specific termination dates of degrees and post-graduate training (PDF or Word).
4. JPG photo of nominee (to be used should they win the award being nominated for).

If submitting a nomination for the Hiroomi & Setsuko Kawano New Investigator Award, the following will also be needed:

1. A statement from the nominee, not to exceed 500 words, that highlights significant research accomplishments in the area of psycho-oncology (PDF or Word).
2. Copies of up to four publications that represent the candidate’s research work (PDF, JPG or Word).

All nominations are kept in strict confidence and only shared with the award committee judges.