Ann Richmond, Ph.D. is one of two recipients of the 2016 William S. Middleton Award. This award is the Veterans Health Administration Biomedical Laboratory Research & Development's highest honor for outstanding achievement in biomedical research.
The award recognizes Dr. Richmond’s exemplary record of involvement in, and service to, the VA and to the biomedical profession, as well as for her seminal contributions to our understanding of the role of chemotactic chemokines in modulating infection, wound healing, growth of malignant tumors, and maintenance of health through immune surveillance. Her laboratory was the first to demonstrate that chemokines have transforming properties in tumor development, inducing tumor formation, and angiogenesis and her basic science research has supported a number of clinical trials of immunotherapeutic agents for melanoma and gastrointestinal malignancies. Dr. Richmond's highly translational research in precision medicine and tumor immunology will have a broad impact on the healthcare of veterans.
To honor Dr. Richmond, BLR&D will publish an announcement in a prestigious scientific journal. Dr. Richmond will receive $50,000 per year for three years in research support. She also will receive a cash award of $5,000 and an inscribed plaque commemorating her scientific achievements. The Tennessee Valley Healthcare System also will receive a plaque honoring Dr. Richmond.