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Sections
William N. Hait, MD, PhD, FAACR, Christiana Bardon, MD, MBA, and Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, FAACR, chaired the inaugural AACR Oncology Industry Partnering Event.Solving the complexities of the cancer problem requires the concerted effort of individuals and organizations on a large scale. The AACR is a catalyst for collaboration, bringing stakeholders together and focusing their collective knowledge to foster innovative cancer research and accelerate progress against cancer.
The AACR shapes the landscape of cancer research through its scientific task forces, convening experts from multiple disciplines to define, evaluate, and foster emerging areas of inquiry. Task forces focus attention and resources on these promising areas, drawing new investigators into the field to drive discovery and expand the frontiers of knowledge.
When an AACR task force has generated a critical mass of interest in an ascending field, the AACR broadens that interest by establishing a scientific working group. AACR scientific working groups build communities around these critical scientific areas, aligning the efforts of its members to address the most challenging questions in cancer research. In 2024, the AACR advanced two vital areas of cancer science through the creation of two new scientific working groups:
While the AACR and the cancer research community have made great progress against cancer, future progress depends on a diverse workforce that is trained to explore and expand the frontiers of cancer science. Under the leadership of chair Brian M. Rivers, PhD, MPH, the AACR Science Education and Career Advancement Committee offers programs that sustain the pipeline of cancer researchers by recruiting, inspiring, and supporting emerging scientists at all career stages.
More than 3,100 AACR members— approximately 5% of the total AACR membership—are high school students or undergraduates with an interest in cancer research. By tailoring programs for and offering professional development opportunities to this critical cohort, the AACR fosters the next generation of leaders in the cancer research community.
In addition, more than 250 undergraduate students attended the AACR Annual Meeting to participate in the 20th Annual Undergraduate Student Caucus and Poster Competition. Many of the students presented their work in a poster session and received feedback on their research from AACR leaders. Presenters of the most highly rated posters received The Margaret Foti Foundation Undergraduate Prizes for Cancer Research, which are funded by AACR Chief Executive Officer Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), to encourage college students to pursue careers in cancer research.
The AACR offered CME credit at 18 different meetings in 2024, including 13 conferences, 2 workshops, 2 joint providership meetings, and the AACR Annual Meeting 2024. AACR journals offered credit to investigators for reviewing manuscripts, and the AACR offered ten additional on-demand CME activities as part of the Project Livin’ Label series in partnership with the FDA. A total of 2,248 researchers and clinicians claimed CME credit from the AACR in 2024, and an additional 230 physicians obtained Medical Knowledge Maintenance of Certification (MOC) points through the American Board of Internal Medicine’s MOC program.
AACR meetings and educational workshops bring the latest advances in cancer science to researchers around the world. The AACR worked with 11 scientific organizations and institutions to convene 31 meetings and workshops in 10 countries in 2024, exploring and advancing the frontiers of cutting-edge cancer science.
That slate of meetings included an entirely new conference designed to foster collaboration in a critical area of translational cancer research. The inaugural AACR Oncology Industry Partnering Event—which was held in April immediately prior to the AACR Annual Meeting 2024 in San Diego—was designed to educate investigators about the process and partners required to take innovative science from the bench to market. Chaired by AACR Past Presidents Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, FAACR, and William N. Hait, MD, PhD, FAACR, as well as Christiana Bardon, MD, MBA, managing partner of MPM BioImpact Capital, this new event showed scientists how to work with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, the investment community, and regulators in order to develop their innovations into FDA-approved products—while conversely exposing these key partners to the latest cutting-edge science. By building connections among critical stakeholders in the drug development process, this annual partnering event will accelerate the transformation of clinical observations and early scientific discoveries into interventions to improve outcomes for patients with cancer.
DNA DAMAGE REPAIR: FROM BASIC SCIENCE TO FUTURE CLINICAL APPLICATION
AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research
In association with the AACR Radiation Science and Medicine Working Group
January 9–11; Washington, D.C.
Cochairs: Robert G. Bristow, MD, PhD, David K. Cortez, PhD, Susan P. Lees-Miller, PhD, and Simon N. Powell, MD, PhD
EACR-AACR BASIC AND TRANSLATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH CONFERENCE: HOW TO BRING BASIC SCIENCE DISCOVERIES TO THE CLINIC
In partnership with the Irish Association for Cancer Research (IACR)
February 27–29; Dublin, Ireland
Scientific Program Committee Cochairs: Rene Bernards, PhD, FAACR, Christine M. Lovly, MD, PhD, and Tracy Robson, PhD
BLOOD CANCER DISCOVERY SYMPOSIUM
March 4–6; Boston, Massachusetts
Symposium Cochairs: Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, PhD (hc), FAACR, and Riccardo Dalla-Favera, MD, FAACR
USCAP COMPANION SOCIETY SESSION: NOVEL 3D AND HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING TECHNIQUES FOR HISTOLOGIC ANALYSIS OF TUMORS
In association with the AACR Pathology Task Force
March 24–24; Baltimore, Maryland
Moderators: A. John Iafrate, MD, PhD, and Lawrence D. True, MD
INAUGURAL AACR ONCOLOGY INDUSTRY PARTNERING EVENT
April 4–5; San Diego, California
Cochairs: Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, FAACR, Christiana Bardon, MBA, MD, and William N. Hait, MD, PhD, FAACR
AACR ANNUAL MEETING 2024
April 5–10; San Diego, California
Program Committee Chairs: Keith T. Flaherty, MD, FAACR, and Christina Curtis, PhD
BLADDER CANCER: TRANSFORMING THE FIELD
AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research
May 17–20; Charlotte, North Carolina
Cochairs: Lars Dyrskjøt Andersen, PhD, Donna E. Hansel, MD, PhD, Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, and Tahlita C.M. Zuiverloon, MD, PhD
EXPANDING AND TRANSLATING CANCER SYNTHETIC VULNERABILITIES
AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research
June 10–13; Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Cochairs: Kimberly Stegmaier, MD, E. Alejandro Sweet-Cordero, MD, Michael A. Erb, PhD, and Kris C. Wood, PhD
ADVANCES IN MALIGNANT LYMPHOMA: MAXIMIZING THE BASIC-TRANSLATIONAL INTERFACE FOR CLINICAL APPLICATION
In cooperation with the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML)
In association with Blood Cancer Discovery
June 19–22; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chair: Michael R. Green, PhD
Cochairs: Francesco Bertoni, MD, Christopher R. Flowers, MD, MS, Ari M. Melnick, MD, Laura Pasqualucci, MD, and Margaret A. Shipp, MD, FAACR
JCA-AACR SPECIAL JOINT CONFERENCE ON THE MOLECULAR RENAISSANCE IN COLORECTAL CANCER
June 28–30; Kyoto, Japan
Conference Chairs: Luis A. Diaz, Jr., MD, FAACR, and Koshi Mimori, MD, PhD
Conference Cochairs: Ryan B. Corcoran, MD, PhD, Masanobu Oshima, DVM, PhD, Cynthia L. Sears, MD, and Tatsuhiro Shibata, MD, PhD
ADVANCES IN PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH
AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research
In association with the AACR Pediatric Cancer Working Group
September 5–8; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Cochairs: Alejandro Gutierrez, MD, Cynthia E. Hawkins, MD, PhD, Andrea A. Hayes-Dixon, MD, and Gilles Vassal, MD, PhD
ADVANCES IN PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research
September 15–18; Boston, Massachusetts
Cochairs: Peter J. Allen, MD, Stephanie K. Dougan, PhD, Michael A. (Tony) Hollingsworth, PhD, and Alec C. Kimmelman, MD, PhD
BIENNIAL OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Presented by the Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer and the AACR
September 20–21; Seattle, Washington
Symposium Cochairs: Joyce Liu, MD, MPH, Nita Maihle, PhD, Brad Nelson, PhD, and Dmitry Zamarin, MD, PhD
THE SCIENCE OF CANCER HEALTH DISPARITIES IN RACIAL/ETHNIC MINORITIES AND THE MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED
In association with the AACR Minorities in Cancer Research Council
September 21–24; Los Angeles, California
Cochairs: Moon S. Chen, MPH, PhD, Melissa B. Davis, PhD, Carmen E. Guerra, MD, MSCE, Adana A.M. Llanos, MPH, PhD, Ruben A. Mesa, MD, Jasmine Plummer, PhD, and Susan M. Shinagawa, AS
TUMOR IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOTHERAPY
AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research
In association with the AACR Cancer Immunology Working Group
October 18–21; Boston, Massachusetts
Cochairs: Yvonne Y. Chen, PhD, Sergio Quezada, PhD, Robert D. Schreiber, PhD, FAACR, and Fernando Vidal-Vanaclocha, MD, PhD
EORTC-NCI-AACR SYMPOSIUM ON MOLECULAR TARGETS AND CANCER THERAPEUTICS
October 23–25; Barcelona, Spain
Scientific Committee Cochairs: E.G. Elisabeth de Vries, MD, PhD, Tim F. Greten, MD, and Timothy A. Yap, MD, PhD
LIQUID BIOPSY: FROM DISCOVERY TO CLINICAL IMPLEMENTATION
AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research
November 13–16; San Diego, California
Conference Cochairs: Catherine Alix-Panabieres, PhD, Luis A. Diaz, Jr., MD, FAACR, Maximilian Diehn, MD, PhD, Y.M. Dennis Lo, MD, PhD, and Klaus Pantel, MD, PhD
FRONTIERS IN CANCER SCIENCE
Supported Meeting
November 13–15; Singapore
Executive Committee: Polly Leilei Chen, BM, PhD, Sanjay De Mel, BM, Marco Foiani, PhD, Narayanan Gopalakrishna Iyer, BM, PhD, Ann Lee-Lim, DPhil, Joanne Ngeow, MBBS, MPH, Sin Tiong Ong, MBBCh, Shazib Pervaiz, MBBS, PhD, Kanaga Sabapathy, PhD, Wai Leong Tam, PhD, Vinay Tergaonkar, PhD, Ashok R. Venkitaraman, MBBS, PhD, David M. Virshup, MD, Walter Hunziker, PhD, Cinnie Soekojo, MD, Robert Walsh, MB Bchir, and Xiaomeng Wang, PhD
RNAS AS DRIVERS, TARGETS, AND THERAPEUTICS IN CANCER
AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research
November 14–17; Bellevue, Washington
Cochairs: Howard Y. Chang, MD, PhD, Joshua T. Mendell, MD, PhD, Anastasia Khvorova, PhD, and V. Narry Kim, PhD
TUMOR-BODY INTERACTIONS: THE ROLES OF MICRO- AND MACROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER
AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research
In association with the AACR Tumor Microenvironment Working Group
November 17–20; Boston, Massachusetts
Cochairs: Mikala Egeblad, PhD, Neta Erez, PhD, Sergei I. Grivennikov, PhD, and Ilaria Malanchi, PhD
AACR-KCA JOINT CONFERENCE ON PRECISION MEDICINE IN CANCER
November 21–22; Seoul, Korea
Cochairs: Kyong Hwa Park, MD, PhD, and Anthony G. Letai, MD, PhD
OPTIMIZING THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY AND TOLERABILITY THROUGH CANCER CHEMISTRY
AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research
In association with the AACR Chemistry in Cancer Research Working Group
December 9–11; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Cochairs: Philip Jones, PhD, Angela N. Koehler, PhD, and Chudi O. Ndubaku, PhD
SAN ANTONIO BREAST CANCER SYMPOSIUM
UT Health San Antonio and AACR Joint Meeting
December 10–13; San Antonio, Texas
Codirectors: Carlos L. Arteaga, MD, FAACR, and and Virginia G. Kaklamani, MD
AACR ON CAMPUS IN BRAZIL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INSTITUTO DO CÂNCER DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO (ICESP)
February 17–24; São Paulo and Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
EORTC-ESMO-AACR METHODS IN CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH WORKSHOP
June 15–21; Sint-Michielsgestel, Netherlands
Codirectors: Saskia Litiere, PhD, Nadia Harbeck, MD, PhD, and Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, PhD (hc), FAACR
INTEGRATIVE MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY: BRIDGING CANCER BIOLOGY AND PRECISION MEDICINE
July 21–26; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Codirectors: Sophia H.L. George, PhD, Peter Kraft, PhD, and Elizabeth A. Platz, MPH, ScD
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY IN CLINICAL ONCOLOGY
July 21–27; Coronado, California
Director: Ross L. Levine, MD
Codirectors: Christine M. Lovly, MD, PhD, and Jean Y. Tang, MD, PhD
AACR/ASCO METHODS IN CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
July 28–August 3; La Jolla, California
Codirectors: Manuel Hidalgo, MD, PhD, Wendy B. London, PhD, and Julie M. Vose, MBA, MD
ACORD PROTOCOL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP
September 22–27; New South Wales, Australia
Convenor: Chris Karapetis, MBBS, MMedSci
TRANSLATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH FOR BASIC SCIENTISTS
October 6–11; Cambridge, Massachusetts
Codirectors: Ryan B. Corcoran, MD, PhD, George D. Demetri, MD, FAACR, and Elaine R. Mardis, PhD, FAACR
ROBERT A. WINN DIVERSITY IN CLINICAL TRIALS AWARD PROGRAM: WINN-AACR DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CLINICAL TRIALS WORKSHOP
November 18–22; Richmond, Virginia
Codirectors: Roy S. Herbst, MD, PhD, Priscilla E. Pemu, MD, Yu Shyr, PhD, FAACR, and Robert A. Winn, MD, FAACR
