Dr. Craig Shriver Lauded for Transformational Leadership in Military Medicine and Cancer Research

Recognized with the Uniformed Services University’s Highest Faculty Honor, Dr. Craig Shriver Is Celebrated for His Legacy of Service, Innovation, and Impact in Cancer Research

Dr. Craig Shriver, center front, is joined by past Carol Johns Medal recipients (back row) and USU leaders

after receiving the 2025 award. (Photo by Tom Balfour, USU)

June 27, 2025 by Dr. Geeta Upadhyay and Sharon Holland

The Uniformed Services University (USU) honored retired Army Col. (Dr.) Craig Shriver with its most prestigious faculty distinction—the Carol Johns Medal—at a ceremony held June 10 on the university’s campus. Recognized for his pioneering work in cancer research and his enduring commitment to military medicine, Shriver joins an elite group of USU faculty whose careers exemplify the spirit and values of the late Dr. Carol J. Johns.

Dr. Jonathan Woodson places the Carol

Johns Medal around the neck of Dr.

Craig Shriver, who received USU's

highest faculty honor for his

pioneering work in cancer research

and his enduring commitment to military 

medicine. (Photo by Tom Balfour, USU)

The medal, whose recipient is selected by the university’s faculty and is presented by the USU Faculty Senate, is named in honor of the late Dr. Carol J. Johns, former member of the USU Board of Regents, pioneering pulmonologist, leading expert in sarcoidosis, and a champion for women in medicine. Over her nearly 50-year career, Johns held numerous leadership roles at Johns Hopkins University, including assistant dean and director of continuing medical education, and she also briefly served as acting president of Wellesley College. Beginning in 1985, she served as a regent and later vice chair of the USU Board of Regents. She remained active in teaching, mentorship, and clinical work until her death in 2000. 

In his opening remarks, USU President Dr. Jonathan Woodson welcomed the audience to “a very special occasion,” celebrating “a truly remarkable individual.” 

“Like Dr. Johns,” Woodson noted, “Dr. Shriver embodies the highest ideals of academic medicine — leadership, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to service.”

Woodson highlighted Shriver’s extraordinary journey as a military surgeon, scientist, and mentor. As director of the Murtha Cancer Center and the Murtha Cancer Center Research Program and the founding force behind the Clinical Breast Care Project (CBCP), Shriver has led transformative advances in breast cancer detection, treatment, and prevention. Under his leadership, the CBCP developed one of the world’s largest annotated breast cancer biorepositories—work that has directly improved care for patients across the Military Health System and beyond.

Woodson also underscored Shriver’s national impact, including his role in the founding of the APOLLO Network (Applied Proteogenomics Organizational Learning and Outcomes), a landmark collaboration among the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Cancer Institute. “His work exemplifies USU’s mission to educate, discover, and serve — and he has inspired us all to aim higher,” Woodson said. “Today, we not only celebrate Dr. Shriver’s achievements — we also reaffirm our gratitude for his legacy, his leadership, and the example he has set for us all.”

USU School of Medicine Dean Dr. Eric Elster followed with a tribute to Shriver’s character and leadership, describing him as “the best of the best”—a decorated war surgeon, exceptional educator, and quiet but powerful motivator who elevates everyone around him.

In accepting the award, Shriver emphasized that it was not a personal accolade but a reflection of the many teams and individuals who have supported and collaborated with him throughout his career. He described peer recognition as the most meaningful form of acknowledgment, coming from colleagues who “are in the trenches with you, who understand and share the struggles and difficulties we all face together.” He reflected on the legacy of Dr. Johns and thanked many of the past recipients of the Carol Johns Medal who were in attendance for their significant contributions to education and research. 

“I believe that with great recognition comes great responsibility and that receiving this award should not be a culmination but rather a continuation. A continuation and elevation of our service to this university,” Shriver said. “I am humbly honored to be receiving this award and will be forever grateful for the amazing environment of support and possibilities that its people… have created here.”