Acknowledging Adventure and Achievement
“In 1970, I was involved with my first bone marrow transplant which was a highly experimental procedure at the time. It was the excitement of seeing the success of a transplant in a child with immune deficiency that really got me started, and I’ve been in the field ever since.”
To commemorate his lifelong efforts, ISCT’s most prestigious award, the Career Achievement Award, was awarded during the 2019 Annual Meeting to John Barrett, MD, to recognize his service to the advancement of the field of cell and gene therapy at large, and to the society through his 17 years of dedicated contribution as Senior Editor to Cytotherapy, and his visionary role as co-founder of the ISCT-ASTCT Cell Therapy Training Course.
Dr. John Barrett has worked to advance the field of cell and gene therapy since the earliest parts of his career. The conclusion of his studies saw him shortly after within the UK hospital system, developing and delivering experimental treatments. Notably, Dr. Barrett’s work with bone marrow transplants at the time yielded significant advances in addressing immune system complications and donor rejection within clinical procedures. His successes in the hospital would see him nominated to work with the NHLBI in the United States in 1993. From that point forward, his work would take him into the cutting edge of cell therapy, advancing research in the areas of hematology and stem cell transplantation especially.
John has been with us at the ISCT for the long haul. In 2001, he published his first editorial as co-editor of Cytotherapy, then journal for ISHAGE, which would eventually evolve into the ISCT. From there, he served as editor-in-chief to the journal between 2002 – 2019. Dr. Barrett has experienced the evolution of the field, of the journal, and of the society throughout his years of service.
He has also demonstrated a commitment to giving back through training and mentorship. John is one of two co-founders of ISTC-ASTCT’s biennial Cell Therapy Training Course (CTTC), and has offered his time as co-director of the course since. CTTC brings together leading experts in cell and gene therapy with rising stars who are poised to conduct and deliver leading edge research that advances the field.
John is both a respected scientific investigator, and a successful scientific communicator. His work, spanning from over 350 original scientific articles and 150 reviews/editorials/book reviews, to his representation on numerous societies and their boards, and his tireless efforts to pass on his expertise by personally delivering training, and by overseeing programs like the CTTC, speak to his lifelong commitment to the task of clinical translation: the driving mission of the ISCT.
We are honored to have been given so many years of service by Dr. John Barrett, and are proud to acknowledge his lifelong efforts to give of himself to the field, to the society, and to the betterment of healthcare outcomes for patients on a global scale.
ISCT recognizes the growing need for qualified personnel and leaders in the field of cell and gene therapy. To attract and support emerging professionals within this industry, ISCT’s Early Stage Professionals (ESPs) Committee provides a networking and educational forum for new cell and gene therapy professionals from around the globe that helps to establish leaders of not only ISCT, but also the field at large. The ESP Committee is composed of 25 members from 4 countries who develop programming for their fellow ESPs, including specialized sessions at the ISCT Annual Meeting, Early Stage Professionals Abstract awards, and a group mentoring program.
