Michelle Cox named inaugural recipient of Rollins Award

At the recent Dana-Farber 2022 Scientific Symposium, the establishment of a new annual award, The Barrett J. Rollins Award for Commitment to Scientific Advancement, was announced. The award was created to recognize an individual who embodies Rollins' dedication to carrying forward Dana-Farber's research and lifesaving mission. Rollins is chief scientific officer emeritus at Dana-Farber and senior advisor to Dana-Farber's President and CEO.

At the same time, the inaugural recipient of the award was announced: Michelle Cox, senior vice president for Research Operations.

Cox joined Dana-Farber in 1992 as a grants management specialist in the Department of Pediatric Oncology. In her current role as senior vice president for Research Operations, she oversees all aspects of research.

Kevin Haigis, PhD, chief scientific officer at Dana-Farber praised Cox for her "dedication and hard work her inspiring commitment to Dana-Farber and our research enterprise, for her compassionate leadership and supportive mentorship of others, and for the tremendous energy that she brings to Dana-Farber every day.

"She's effective and resourceful," added Haigis. "She's a joy to work with and is completely selfless with her time and energy. She inspires us with her dedication and work ethic and serves as a role model for how to treat and care for others."     

Accepting the award, Cox said, "I can't say enough about what this organization has meant to me. It has been a privilege and honor to serve here. The faculty inspire me all the time, but there's nothing I do on my own; I work with an amazing team of people."

In announcing the establishment of the award, Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber said Barrett Rollins has been her "right arm, a wise counselor, a loyal friend of 30 years, and a cherished colleague. In addition to being the Institute's chief scientific officer from 2004 to 2020, he is an accomplished researcher who discovered the BRAF gene mutation in the rare cancer Langerhans cell histiocytosis, leading to new treatments.”

Following Glimcher's remarks, Rollins spoke of his affection for the Institute as a product of the relationships he has formed here. "I've stayed here my entire career because the people here are incomparable," he remarked. "They are brilliant, they are kind, they are world-class leaders and they have become my friends."