The Vision of Hope Award is presented to a person or organization through public or private actions has resulted in the advancement of care, treatment or awareness for sarcoma patients. The honoree impacts the lives of sarcoma patients and survivors providing them hope for a better future and whose achievements provide increased hope for better patient outcomes.

David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc
Associate Professor of Medicine, Translational Medicine & Human Genetics
Associate Director, Patient Impact, Orphan Disease Center, University of Pennsylvania
Co-Founder, Every Cure

David Fajgenbaum, MD, MBA, MSc, is a physician-scientist at the University of Pennsylvania and one of the youngest professors to receive tenure in the history of Penn Medicine, the co-Founder & President of the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network (CDCN), co-Founder and President of Every Cure, and the national bestselling author of Chasing My Cure: A Doctor’s Race to Turn Hope Into Action.  Dr. Fajgenbaum is also a patient battling a deadly disease for which he discovered a repurposed treatment that is saving his life.

Through his work at Penn and the CDCN, he has identified and advanced repurposed treatments for 16 additional diseases. Due to his work in, and his own experience with, repurposed treatments, Dr. Fajgenbaum was able to help his uncle Michael when he was diagnosed with metastatic angiosarcoma. In 2016, Dr. Fajgenbaum went into action to try to find a potential treatment that could be repurposed. He uncovered a study from 2013 suggesting that angiosarcoma may be susceptible to immunotherapy and tested his uncle’s tumor for a particular marker. When the test came back positive, his uncle pioneered the use of pembrolizumab, which put him into remission and has become an established treatment for angiosarcoma.  Because of these experiences, Dr. Fajgenbaum co-founded Every Cure to unlock the full potential of FDA-approved medicines to treat every disease possible with repurposed drugs. 

One of the youngest awardees of multiple top NIH and FDA grants, Dr. Fajgenbaum has published scientific papers in high-impact journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and the Journal of Clinical Investigation, including a paper selected as one of the top innovations in science and medicine of 2020. He has been profiled by The New York Times, TODAY, GMA, USA TODAY, Forbes 30 Under 30, and received numerous awards, including the 2016 Atlas Award along with then-VP Joe Biden, the 2022 NDRI Service to Science Award along with Nobel Laureates Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman, and the 2023 Philadelphia Citizen of the Year Award. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA. Dr. Fajgenbaum earned a BS from Georgetown University, MSc from the University of Oxford, MD from the University of Pennsylvania, and MBA from The Wharton School.

The Nobility in Science Award is given annually to a deserving visionary, who has been a leading sarcoma surgeon and researcher and has taken on an integral role in advancing drug development for sarcoma patients. Awardees receiving this honor have contributed in a significant way to the advancement of, care, treatment, for sarcoma patients. This award is given to an outstanding scientist who is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge of sarcoma and works tirelessly to find new and innovative approaches for treating this rare cancer.

Cristina R. Antonescu, MD

My career as a sarcoma pathologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has started in 1999 under the mentorship of two historical figures, Drs. Andrew Huvos and James Woodruff, who have shaped my aspirations toward an academic career in studying bone and soft tissue tumors. In 2004, as a result of a KO8 award, I started my own sarcoma research laboratory, dedicated to the detection and molecular characterization of diagnostic and prognostic markers in soft tissue sarcomas. Reflecting my prior training in molecular biology, my research has focused on two main directions: KIT oncogenic signaling in the pathogenesis of GIST and gene fusion discovery in the characterization of new pathologic entities. During the past two decades our lab has cloned numerous novel gene fusions that has impacted the classification of soft tissue tumors. My sarcoma research laboratory also served as an invaluable resource in mentoring young investigators and pathology fellows, with a special interest in sarcoma pathology and molecular biology. Currently, I serve as the Director of the Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology and I oversee the pathologic evaluation of sarcoma patients treated at our institution. I run a busy personal consultation practice and enjoy teaching our talented fellows. I am the Co-Leader of a GIST research project as well as the Co-Director of the Administrative Core and Director of the Biospecimen Repository Core for the NIH Soft Tissue Sarcoma SPORE. I am also the co-Director of the recently instituted MSK Sarcoma Center, an integrated multidisciplinary group of basic and clinical researchers. Accepting the Nobility Award, I am grateful to all my colleagues at MSK for their relentless support over the years for both my clinical and research endeavors.

Jaclyn Cardarelli-Matte, LICSW
Massachusetts General Hospital

Jackie Cardarelli-Matte has been with the Mass General Cancer Center since the start of her clinical social work career in 2016. In her time in Oncology, Jackie has developed a practice focusing on quality of life and advocacy for patients, families, and their varied needs. She is committed to her patients, families, and team members with a collaborative, strengths-based approach. She works with her patients throughout the treatment trajectory, including adjusting to diagnosis and treatment, survivorship, or end-of-life care and support. Jackie has a special clinical interest in the needs of the AYA population and has been involved in innovative individual and group approaches to supporting this population. She is eager to continue her contributions to the growth of this important program. Outside of MGH, Jackie enjoys spending time with family (human and canine) and camping and hiking whenever she can.

Courage Award honorees illustrate, through their personal efforts and actions, sarcoma advocacy. These individuals are patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates who inspire others by using their platform on behalf of sarcoma patients and survivors to create hope and a better life/or the sarcoma community. Many do not think they have done something special but who have inspired others and are making a difference/or sarcoma patients and their families. The Courage Award honors patients who have demonstrated strength and perseverance in their sarcoma diagnosis.

To be announced soon

Amira Yunis Courage Award honorees illustrate, through their personal efforts and actions, sarcoma advocacy. These individuals are patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates who inspire others by using their platform on behalf of sarcoma patients and survivors to create hope and a better life/or the sarcoma community. Many do not think they have done something special but who have inspired others and are making a difference/or sarcoma patients and their families. The Amira Yunis Courage Award honors patients who have demonstrated strength and perseverance in their sarcoma diagnosis.

Sean Cincotta
Sarcoma Survivor

Sean Cincotta is this year’s recipient of the 2024 Amira Yunis Courage Award.  Sean was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in his right arm in January 2023.  In March 2023, Sean underwent a 14-hour shoulder and humerus resection to remove the tumor. Dr. Tae Won Kim of Cooper University Health Care’s Orthopedic Oncology Center successfully removed the tumor and preserved the nerve function of his arm and hand.  In May 2023, Sean started the next round of his fight: intense chemotherapy. With the support and guidance of Dr. Polina Khrizman and her team at MD Anderson at Cooper, Sean completed his chemotherapy in January 2024.  Thanks to the efforts of his team of doctors and unyielding love and support from his family and friends, Sean is cancer-free today.

Sean grew up and currently resides in Ambler, PA.  He graduated from La Salle College High School and subsequently Saint Joseph’s University, and is a Vice President at Delancey Street Partners. Since his diagnosis, Sean has been active with the Race to Cure Sarcoma Philadelphia and SFA’s Adolescent and Young Adult Committee, serving as an advocate for sarcoma patients and survivors.