Lynda Carter Altman and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community were honored April 7 with awards at the 2022 TGen Founders Dinner, presented by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope.

Carter Altman, the well-known actress, singer and advocate who portrayed "Wonder Woman" in the original television series, received TGen’s John S. McCain Leadership Award in recognition of her advocacy for TGen’s and City of Hope’s research and clinical advances in precision medicine.

Named after the late U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the annual award recognizes individuals or organizations whose leadership and dedication have made a significant impact in the fight against disease and improving the quality of life for patients worldwide.

“I am so grateful to have received this award. The ceremony reminded me of everything John McCain stood for: leadership, strength, and bravery, all in service to the great state of Arizona,” Carter Altman said in a press release.

TGen presents the leadership award, named after the late Sen. McCain, to someone with a maverick spirit, a willingness to be fearless in what they believe and advocate for the causes they support.

“Lynda Carter Altman fits that bill perfectly, including her groundbreaking support for breast cancer and several social issues,” said TGen President and Research Director Jeffrey Trent, who also welcomed her as the newest member of the TGen Foundation Board of Directors.

In terms of her board appointment, Carter Altman remarked, “My greatest hope in working with TGen is that we can work together to lessen the suffering that comes with a terminal diagnosis.”

Also at the event, TGen honored Martin Harvier, president of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, with the Collaborative Spirit Award.

“We are honored to receive this award,” Harvier said. “The mutual respect between our community and TGen provides the foundation for all our collaborative success and we are hopeful our work together will improve the quality of life for our members and others throughout the world.”

SRPMIC was among the earliest supporters of TGen and for the past 20 years have collaborated on research studies in diabetes, renal cell carcinoma, COVID-19 and, soon, the largest clinical genomic study of cancer among Native Americans in U.S. history.

“I have long recognized the great but unmet medical need the tribal communities have,” Trent said. “Since our initial meeting 20 years ago, our partnership has sustained five administrations due to TGen’s commitment to building trust and following the tribal lead on projects at the request of the community. The community is most deserving of the Collaborative Spirit Award.”