COIMBRA, Portugal, June 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- At the 16th International Photodynamic Association (IPA) World Congress in Coimbra, Professor Tayyaba Hasan was the recipient of the 2017 AWARD FOR SIGNIFICANT ADVANCEMENT OF PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY.
Dr. Tayyaba Hasan is a Professor of Dermatology at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School (HMS) and a Professor of Health Sciences and Technology (Harvard-MIT). She was the founding Director of the Office for Research Career Development at Massachusetts General Hospital until 2011.
Dr. Hasan's scientific efforts are focused on photochemistry-based approaches (photodynamic therapy, or PDT) for treatment and diagnosis of disease. In cancer, the focus malignancies are ovarian, prostate, pancreas, gliomas and head and neck cancers. In infections and infectious diseases, efforts are targeted toward developing microbial-enzyme-specific photoactivatable molecules for use in PDT. Target organisms in the infectious diseases are leishmaniasis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Through pioneering and paradigm-shifting research accomplishments, Dr. Hasan has made major advances in the science and practice of PDT. Her work is transformative and expands the application of PDT to hitherto inaccessible diseases. Her laboratory has a translational science ethos. She was one of the inventors of Visudyne, the only first line application of PDT approved by the FDA. Visudyne is used in the treatment of Age Related Macular Degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the western world for the population in the 6th decade onwards.
Dr. Hasan was recognised for leading efforts in Bench to Bedside translations, including advancement in targeted PDT, nanotechnology, and photochemistry.
Dr. Hasan has served the global PDT community with distinction. Over the years, Dr. Hasan has served in many leadership positions, including her current role as President of the International Photodynamic Association (IPA) and has been the President of the American Society for Photobiology. As the founding Director of the Office for Research Career Development at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Hasan has demonstrated years of commitment to the recruitment, mentoring, and career development of junior scientists and clinicians advancing the field of PDT.
The Coimbra World Congress was the 16th conference held by the International Photodynamic Association, marking 32 years of this global meeting. The IPA World Congresses, held every two years, is the leading PDT meeting bringing together members of the global photodynamic community to advance scientific and clinical research relating to photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapies. The next IPA World Congress will be led by Dr. Tayyaba Hasan and hosted in Boston, USA.
About Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a combination therapy involving light activated photosensitizers to diagnose and treat various types of cancers and pre-cancers, macular degeneration and multidrug resistant biofilm infections involving bacteria, viruses and fungi.
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