March 21, 2006 > Chief scientist ranks in top five percent for grant monies

by Desire Aquino

Fremont, CA - Dr. Dee West, Chief Scientific Officer for Northern California Cancer Center, is among an elite group of grantees from the National Institutes of Health. West ranks in the top five percent for the monetary distribution of research-related NIH grants nationwide over the last 25 years.

West's ranking is based on tabulated data from Columbia University health economists Pierre Azoulay, Ph.D., and Joshua Graff Zivin, Ph.D., who are doing research on the careers of top NIH grantees. Their hypothesis is that prominent researchers, like West, positively influence the research productivity of the colleagues around them. The pair used NIH's Compound Grant Applicant File to compile their data.

"To understand the significance of Dr. West's ranking, we need to remember that NIH grants are awarded to highly recognized scientists whose work is reviewed by fellow scientists, so receiving an NIH grant is an honor that speaks to the quality of one's science. The Northern California Cancer Center is very proud of Dr. West and his 19 years of service to the organization and those affected by cancer," adds Northern California Cancer Center CEO Don Nielsen, Ph.D.

Dr. West is also the Associate Director of the Population Sciences and Education Program at Stanford University Cancer Center as part of collaboration between the Northern California Cancer Center and Stanford University.

The Northern California Cancer Center, a non-profit organization, is an established, nationally recognized leader dedicated to understanding the causes, prevention and detection of cancer and to improve the quality of life for individuals living with cancer. The Northern California Cancer Center has been working with scientists, educators, patients, clinicians, and community leaders successfully since 1974, and is an active participant in Stanford University's Comprehensive Cancer Center.