Scarsdale, NY — Owen A. O'Connor, M.D., Ph.D, is being
recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Lifetime
Achiever for inventing and developing many drugs for the treatment of blood
cancers, and in acknowledgment of his work in both academic medicine and the
private sector for nearly 25 years.
An internationally renowned oncologist, Dr. O'Connor is
known for his expertise in drug discovery and development and in diagnosing and
treating all forms of lymphoma with over 20 years of experience in academic
medicine. He invented and pioneered the development of several first-in-class
drugs to treat blood cancer, including one he co-invented for T-cell lymphoma,
which has now been approved in over 35 countries worldwide. He has held several
prestigious leadership positions at the major cancer centers in New York City,
including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York University Medical
Center, and Columbia University Medical Center.
Dr. O'Connor earned his Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science at
Manhattan College in New York. He completed a Ph.D. in Environmental Medicine
at the New York University Medical School, where he studied the mechanisms of
chemical carcinogenesis. After earning his Medical Degree from the University
of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, he completed an Internship and
Residency in Internal Medicine at the New York Hospital - Cornell University
Medical Center. He then went on to complete two fellowships, including one in
medical oncology in the Department of Medicine under the Clinical Investigator
Program (in the laboratory of Dr. Joseph R. Bertino) at Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center and a second in clinical pharmacology in the Division
of Pharmacology in the Department of Medicine New York Hospital - Cornell
University Medical School. He was appointed Chief Medical Oncology Fellow in
the Department of Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
During his decades-long career, he has focused his scientific interests on
developing novel small molecules for blood cancer treatment, many representing
first-in-class drugs. His interests have focused on everything from chemistry
through preclinical modeling and early Phase clinical studies to regulatory
Phase 3 studies. Passionate about his craft, Dr. O'Connor has published over
250 articles in peer-reviewed journals, books and book chapters, and reviews on
managing lymphoma and drug discovery. He is the editor of the first textbook on
the Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas and is now editing a new series of books for
Wiley Sciences on Precision Cancer Therapies. He was a member of the Scientific
Advisory Board for the Lymphoma Research Foundation and the Leukemia Lymphoma
Society and has received countless awards for his research, including being
named to America's Top Cancer Doctors, cited among the Top 50 Irish-Americans
in Science and Medicine by the Irish government, and inducted into the New
Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame. He also received the American Cancer Society
Research Professorship, the most prestigious honor bestowed by the Society. He
has been a Castle Connolly Top Doctor since 2011.
Among his professional memberships and affiliations, Dr.
O'Connor is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American
Association for Cancer Research, and the American Society of Hematology.
In his spare time, Dr. O'Connor enjoys creative photography and travel,
particularly spending time at his second home on Cape Cod. He also actively
supports the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod and the Cape Cod Arts
Center.
The doctor would like to acknowledge his mentors: Dr. William Hait and Dr. Joseph R. Bertino.
