The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), a coalition of leading cancer centers, announces the 2026 winners of the annual NCCN Foundation® Young Investigator Awards. This award provides early career researchers with funding to advance research on important issues in oncology. Award recipients were selected by the NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP), which provides oversight and guidance throughout the two-year program.
“NCCN is committed to providing the most effective treatment for patients with cancer,” said Dr. Crystal S. Denlinger, CEO of NCCN. “NCCN’s junior investigators will continue to serve in leadership roles within the agency and nationally. This year’s honorees have identified particularly pressing needs impacting cancer patients. They are seeking solutions that will lead to better outcomes for everyone in the future. We are honored to play a role in their career trajectories and look forward to seeing where they go.”
The 2026 NCCN Foundation Young Investigator award recipients are:
- Dr. Monica F. Chen, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Combination of CXCR2 inhibition and proton craniospinal irradiation for patients with melanoma and leptomeningeal disease
- Dr. Yang Chen, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Targeting fibroinflammation to prevent resistance to KRAS inhibition in pancreatic cancer
- Dr. Scott Furlan, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Unraveling residual disease: Defining age-specific shared stem-like programs that drive AML relapse
- Emily L. Podany, MD, MPHS; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine
- From screening to action: Implementing navigational interventions for patients at high risk for breast cancer and social determinants of health.
- Satoru Osuga, Doctor of Medicine; O’Neill Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB
- Tumor matrix-bound TGF-β scFv suppresses TGF-β signaling in recurrent glioblastoma
Congratulations to this year’s outstanding winners. We see great potential in each of these early career researchers and the projects they choose. This is as much an investment in our future leaders’ ideas as we are in developing them. Our list of notable past honorees includes Dr. Denlinger, CEO of NCCN, and many other high achievers who have contributed to our mission to define and advance quality cancer prevention and care. ”
Patrick Delaney, NCCN Foundation Executive Director
This year’s award is made possible through funding from the NCCN Foundation with support from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. Daiichi Sankyo. Edith C. Blum Foundation; Exelixis, Inc.; Merck & Co., and Pfizer Inc.
The NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Awards program began 15 years ago as an effort to celebrate and support promising researchers in oncology. This award will help strengthen the pipeline for future success in the fight against cancer. Past award winners recently presented their research results at the NCCN 2026 Annual Conference. This year’s winners will present their work at the NCCN 2029 Annual Conference.
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National Comprehensive Cancer Network
