Falls Church, Virginia. Sept. 19, 2012 – The American Thyroid Association (ATA) today announced it will honor Richard T. Kloos, MD, of Veracyte, Inc., with the 2012 Distinguished Service Award on Sept. 21 at the 82nd ATA Annual Meeting, in Québec City, Québec, Canada. The Distinguished Service Award honors an ATA member who has made important and continuing contributions to the ATA. A Distinguished Award Certificate will be presented to Dr. Kloos during the meeting’s annual banquet.
“Dr. Kloos is among the ATA’s strongest champions. In addition to his important contributions to clinical research in thyroid cancer, he has shown unwavering dedication to upholding the ATA’s mission and has provided exceptional service to the Association,” said ATA President James A. Fagin, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Dr. Kloos served as Secretary and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the ATA from 2007 – 2011 with a year prior as Secretary-elect. In this top leadership position at the ATA he led the activities of the Executive Committee, served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, provided ATA representation both in the United States and internationally, and oversaw the activities of more than 20 ATA committees and task forces, and ATA publications. During his tenure, one of Dr. Kloos’ greatest achievements was initiating new ATA Guidelines on relevant health issues—such as anaplastic thyroid cancer, pediatric thyroid cancer, basic science, thyroid disease and pregnancy, and treatment of hypothyroidism—that highlighted the Association’s scholarship and worldwide expertise in these important areas. Dr Kloos played a key role in successfully steering the ATA through the worldwide economic recession that occurred during his tenure. These challenges and vision resulted in the focusing and strengthening of the impact and capacity of ATA operations with his vision reflected in various ATA activities, and spanned guidelines, publications, membership growth and retention, and increased support for novel research.
Before he became ATA Secretary and COO, Dr. Kloos chaired the 2008 Medullary Thyroid Cancer (MTC) Guidelines Task Force, and served on the Clinical Affairs Committee. Dr Kloos established the ATA-MTC Registry Consortium to collaboratively simultaneously serve the safety needs of the public, the FDA, and industry. Other major contributions to the ATA include his participation in the 2006 and 2009 Thyroid Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Guidelines Task Forces.
During his many years of service to the ATA for which he is being honored, Dr. Kloos was Professor in the divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Nuclear Medicine at The Ohio State University (OSU), Attending Physician at The OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Co-Director of The OSU Thyroid Cancer Unit.
Dr. Kloos’ areas of expertise include multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional basic, translational, and clinical research of the causes, treatments, and optimal monitoring of patients with thyroid cancer. Dr. Kloos has established many noted thyroid cancer collaborations across the world and has lectured extensively on thyroid disease throughout North America and abroad.
Dr. Kloos is currently Senior Medical Director of Veracyte Inc., a molecular diagnostics company specializing in the emerging field of molecular cytology. In this role, Dr. Kloos is tasked with educating thyroidologists on Veracyte’s first product, the Afirma® Thyroid FNA Analysis, and leading all thyroid product medical efforts globally.
About the ATA Annual Meeting
The 82nd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association will be held Sept. 19-23, in Québec City, Québec, Canada. This four-day creative and innovative scientific program, chaired by Elizabeth Pearce, MD, Boston Medical Center, and Douglas Forrest, PhD, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, carefully balances clinical and basic science sessions on the latest advances in thyroidology. The ATA meeting is designed to offer continuing education for endocrinologists, internists, surgeons, basic scientists, nuclear medicine scientists, pathologists, endocrine fellows and nurses, physician assistants and other health care professionals. Visit www.thyroid.org for more information.
About the ATA
The American Thyroid Association (ATA) is the leading worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement, understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer. ATA is an international individual membership organization with over 1,600 members from 43 countries around the world. Celebrating its 89th anniversary, ATA delivers its mission through several key endeavors: the publication of highly regarded monthly journals, THYROID, Clinical Thyroidology and Clinical Thyroidology for Patients; annual scientific meetings; biennial clinical and research symposia; research grant programs for young investigators, support of online professional, public and patient educational programs through www.thyroid.org; and the development of guidelines for clinical management of thyroid disease. Visit www.thyroid.org for more information.
Media Contact
Bobbi Smith
Executive Director
of the American Thyroid Association
Email: thyroid@thyroid.org
Mobile Phone: 703-772-2462 (texts preferred)
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