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Joseph S. Pagano Award

Headshot of Joseph Pagano
The Pagano Awards are named for Joseph Pagano, MD, UNC Lineberger director emeritus and Lineberger Professor of Cancer Research. Pagano was the founding director of the cancer center and its postdoctoral training program.

The Joseph S. Pagano Award annually recognizes notable cancer-related papers authored by UNC Lineberger postdoctoral fellows. Winners are selected through a competitive process and are honored for their authorship of articles in high-impact journals.

Eligible papers are written by postdoctoral fellows holding a position in the laboratory of a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and were published or accepted for publication in 2022.

Authors of the three top papers receive a cash prize and potentially give a featured talk at a future UNC Lineberger event.

View list of recipients of the Joseph S. Pagano Award

Guidelines for Pagano Award

The Pagano Award was established in 2002 to annually recognize noteworthy papers authored by our postdoctoral fellows.

Papers submitted must meet the following criteria:

  • Applications should be submitted by the preceptor of the nominated candidate and should be a member of the UNC Lineberger; any postdoctoral fellow in the preceptor’s lab can be nominated.
  • Research must have been completed while the fellow was at UNC.
  • Fellow must be primary author or co-first author of the nominated paper.
  • Paper must have been accepted or published in 2022. If paper was accepted but not published during the 2022 year, the journal’s letter of acceptance must be included with the application.

Application packet must include:

  • PDF of the paper.
  • Letter from the preceptor briefly summarizing the postdoc’s background, the scientific impact of the paper, and the postdoc’s relative contribution to the paper. While a description of the postdoc’s contribution is expected for all applications, it is particularly important for co-first authors papers or papers with multiple authors.
  • Letter from the postdoctoral fellow, describing the scientific impact of the paper, in 200 words or less.
  • To submit, please send a single email containing all 3 application materials as PDF file to the email address: lccctraining@unc.edu.
  • Please make the email subject line as: 2022 Pagano Award Application
Please check back in Spring 2024 for a new application cycle.