Frederick Locke, MD, Awarded Researcher of the Year by Moffitt Cancer Center

Frederick Locke, MD, received the W. Jackson Pledger Researcher of the Year Award from the Moffitt Cancer Center for his impact and contributions to cancer research.¹ Dr. Locke serves as chair of Moffitt’s Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy Department and co-leader of the Immuno-Oncology Program.

Dr. Locke’s research focuses on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for patients with lymphoma and multiple myeloma. He is a lead investigator of the ZUMA-1 and ZUMA-7 trials, which led to the FDA approval of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel).¹ In ZUMA-7, patients with large B-cell lymphoma treated with axi-cel lived without their cancer getting worse and without needing new cancer treatment for a median of 8 months, compared with 2 months for patients treated with chemotherapy-based standard of care.²

“This is an award that really means a lot coming from my fellow investigators and researchers here at Moffitt who have selected me,” Dr. Locke told Blood Cancers Today in an interview. “I’ve spent my entire professional life trying to figure out new ways to treat cancer and to develop and run clinical trials for patients with lymphoma. This recognition is a testament to the hundreds of people who are part of our cell therapy team here at Moffitt that have allowed us to have these incredible and impactful scientific reports.”

After his father was diagnosed with lymphoma and successfully treated in a clinical trial, Dr. Locke recognized the value and possibility of clinical trials and scientific investigation into new therapies. Reflecting on this experience, Dr. Locke provided advice to younger clinicians or trainees in the field.

“Follow your interests,” he encouraged. “Take a long view of the career and think about what you want to contribute to the world and spend your time doing. Careers can take decades to shape up, and new opportunities come up all the time. It’s really about positioning yourself to be ready to take those.”

References

1. Jones A. Moffitt Cancer Center Honors Dr. Frederick Locke as Researcher of the Year. Accessed April 30, 2025. https://www.moffitt.org/endeavor/archive/moffitt-cancer-center-honors-dr.-frederick-locke-as-researcher-of-the-year
2. Locke FL, et al. Future Oncol. 2025;21(4):393-407.
   doi:10.1080/14796694.2024.243521