In the battle to fight cancer, and to identify cures that not only save patients but also improve their quality of life, Sylvester and the Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research have forged a remarkable partnership close to 70 years strong. This was evident on the evening Justin Watts, M.D., received the Pap Corps Endowed Professorship in Leukemia.

Thanking his mentors, colleagues, staff, and family members, Dr. Watts, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology at the Miller School, talked about his ambitious goals. “My mission is to design and develop the next generation of drug therapies and precision medicine platforms that will be less toxic and cure more leukemia patients," he said.

It was at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center that Dr. Watts first came to the attention of Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., who was then the Alfred P. Sloan Chair of Cancer Research and head of the division of hematologic oncology at Sloan Kettering. After Dr. Nimer became director of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Watts’ reputation as an “amazing, very hardworking, and very dedicated physician” prompted Dr. Nimer to recruit him in 2014.

At Sylvester, Dr. Watts has led robust clinical and translational research, focusing on acute leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes, and myeloproliferative neoplasms. More than 240 patients have been treated through his clinical trials, and he has published and presented extensively. In addition, he has received numerous grants and awards for his research, including from the National Institutes of Health.

The Pap Corps was started by five visionary women in 1952, who were driven by a lack of early detection and treatment of cancer. Today, it is South Florida’s largest volunteer fundraising organization with more than 22,000 members and 52 chapters, and it has raised more than $110 million for cancer research, including a historic $50 million pledge to Sylvester in 2016.

The endowed professorship will allow Dr. Watts to secure funding for his research and clinical trials. “Dr. Watts is a tenure-track investigator who has created a robust leukemia research program at the University of Miami,” said Linda Moses, chair of the board of directors of the Pap Corps. “I enthusiastically applaud Dr. Watts for his appointment to the path of endowed professorship in leukemia.”