The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has once again recognized the diverse and impactful contributions of researchers across various cancer-related fields with its annual professional awards. These accolades serve as a testament to the dedication and innovation driving progress in cancer research, therapy development, education, and mentorship. Among the recipients, several names stand out for their groundbreaking discoveries and leadership in cancer science. One such honoree is James P. Allison, PhD, FAACR, who received the AACR Lifetime Achievement in Cancer Research Award. Allison's identification of CTLA-4 as a negative regulator of T-cell activation has revolutionized cancer immunotherapy, leading to the development of groundbreaking treatments. His work not only exemplifies the power of basic science in translating to clinical applications but also highlights the potential for immunotherapy to transform patient outcomes. Meanwhile, Housheng Hansen He, PhD, was awarded the AACR Outstanding Achievement in Basic Cancer Research Award for his contributions to cancer epigenetics and RNA medicine. His research has shed light on the intricate relationship between chromatin accessibility and epigenomic landscapes in oncogenic transcription, offering new insights into tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. In the realm of blood cancer research, John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD, received the AACR Outstanding Achievement in Blood Cancer Research Award. DiPersio's work in leukemia and stem cell biology, particularly his contributions to the development of plerixafor and motixafortide, has significantly advanced the understanding and treatment of blood cancers. His identification of AK1/2 signaling in graft-versus-host disease has also paved the way for the development of JAK inhibitors, such as ruxolitinib (Jakafi), which have shown promise in improving outcomes for patients with blood cancers. The AACR Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research was presented to Charles W.M. Roberts, MD, PhD, FAACR. Roberts' leadership and dedication to cancer research education have been instrumental in shaping the next generation of cancer scientists and physicians. His work at St. Jude Comprehensive Cancer Center exemplifies the importance of mentorship and education in advancing cancer research and improving patient care. David L. Rimm, MD, PhD, was honored with the AACR James S. Ewing-Thelma B. Dunn Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pathology in Cancer Research. Rimm's innovations in quantitative biomarker science have transformed cancer diagnostics and treatment. His development of the fluorescence-based Automated Quantitative Analysis platform has improved immunohistochemistry, enabling precise and reproducible protein quantification in tissue specimens. This has not only enhanced the accuracy of cancer diagnostics but also opened new avenues for personalized medicine and treatment planning. Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, FAACR, received the AACR Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research. Ribas' contributions to melanoma biology and cancer immunotherapy, particularly his role in the clinical development of pembrolizumab (Keytruda), have been instrumental in advancing the field of cancer immunotherapy. His research has helped define mechanisms of immunotherapy response and resistance, guiding the development of innovative combination therapy approaches. The AACR Team Science Award was presented to the Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap) team for their systematic mapping of genetic dependencies across cancer cells. By combining large-scale CRISPR functional genomic screens, drug response data, and multiomic profiling, the team has uncovered lineage- and genotype-specific cancer vulnerabilities, including synthetic lethal dependencies. This comprehensive resource has revealed genes and pathways essential for tumor survival, offering new opportunities for targeted therapies and precision medicine. Elizabeth A. Platz, ScD, MPH, was awarded the AACR American Cancer Society Award for Research Excellence in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. Platz's research has significantly advanced the understanding of prostate cancer development, progression, and prevention. Her work has linked intraprostatic inflammation to prostate cancer risk, identified telomere length patterns as prognostic biomarkers, and demonstrated protective associations between statin use, cholesterol, and disease lethality. Kenneth M. Murphy, MD, PhD, received the AACR Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology for his work on the development and functional specialization of dendritic cell subsets that regulate adaptive immune responses. His research has elucidated the transcriptional programs that control dendritic cell lineage commitment, including the role of transcription factors such as BATF3 in the development of cross-presenting dendritic cells required to prime cytotoxic T-cell responses. Andrew P. Feinberg, MD, MPH, was honored with the AACR G.H.A. Clowes Award for Outstanding Basic Cancer Research for his discoveries about the fundamental role of epigenetic alterations in cancer. His research has demonstrated that large-scale epigenomic alterations contribute to tumor initiation, progression, and cellular heterogeneity, leading to the concept of epigenetic plasticity as a driver of cancer evolution. Dennis Lo, DM, DPhil, received the AACR Irving Weinstein Foundation Distinguished Lectureship Award for his discovery of fetal DNA in maternal plasma, enabling safer and earlier prenatal diagnostics. His work has also demonstrated that DNA released by tumors may be used for cancer screening, leading to the development of circulating DNA-based tools for early cancer detection and screening. Luis A. Diaz Jr., MD, FAACR, was awarded the AACR Joseph H. Burchenal Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research for his pioneering discoveries in biomarker-driven immunotherapies and the demonstration that tumors with mismatch repair deficiencies and microsatellite instability are highly responsive to immune checkpoint blockade. His work has advanced the use of circulating tumor DNA to detect minimal residual disease and led clinical trials of PD-1 blockade in mismatch repair-deficient cancers. Ahmedin M. Jemal, DVM, PhD, received the AACR Minorities in Cancer Research Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship for his research that has quantified temporal and geographic trends in cancer burden and identified population-level determinants of cancer incidence, survival, and stage at diagnosis across demographic groups. His work has linked changes in risk factor exposure, screening uptake, and treatment advances to declines in cancer mortality and informed strategies for cancer prevention, early detection, and population-level cancer control. David C. Lyden, MD, PhD, was honored with the AACR Princess Takamatsu Memorial Lectureship for his research describing how primary tumors systemically promote metastasis by forming pre-metastatic niches in distant organs. His work has demonstrated that tumor-derived extracellular vesicles and exomeres, together with bone marrow-derived progenitor cells, remodel distant microenvironments and determine organ-specific metastatic tropism. Kimberly Stegmaier, MD, FAACR, received the AACR St. Baldrick's Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Cancer Research for her genomic discoveries that defined the molecular landscape of childhood cancers and led to the identification of key drivers of fusion oncoprotein positive malignancies. Her research has used systematic functional genomic screening and chemical biology strategies to identify critical dependencies in high-risk acute leukemias and pediatric solid tumors. Eliezer M. Van Allen, MD, was awarded the AACR Waun Ki Hong Award for Outstanding Achievement in Translational and Clinical Cancer Research for his research defining genomic mechanisms underlying resistance to targeted therapies and identifying genomic features associated with response to immune checkpoint blockade. His work has advanced biomarker discovery and the use of genomic data to guide personalized cancer treatments, as well as bridged advances in artificial intelligence with translational cancer research. Maryellen L. Giger, PhD, received the AACR Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Lectureship for her contributions to the cancer research field and her leadership in advancing women in science. Giger's research has established quantitative imaging and radiomics approaches that extract high-dimensional features from radiologic images to characterize tumor phenotype and predict cancer risk, diagnosis, and treatment response. Douglas R. Lowy, MD, FAACR, and John T. Schiller, PhD, FAACR, were awarded the Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research for their pioneering work in the molecular and immunologic foundations of human papillomavirus vaccines. Their engineering of virus-like particles for safe and effective immunization has driven the translation of their research into global cancer prevention strategies that have dramatically reduced cervical and other HPV-related cancer incidence.
