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AACI’s first in-person annual meeting since 2019 attracted over 400 participants, including leaders from 91 cancer centers, for three-and-a-half days of networking, presentations, and panel discussions in Kansas City. Program topics ranged from the Cancer Moonshot and National Cancer Institute funding, to cancer center leadership development, the future of the oncology workforce, clinical trial operations, drug development, and breakthrough research at basic science centers.

On October 3, the day that Dr. Monica Bertagnolli began her tenure as the National Cancer Institute’s new director, the NCI's principal deputy director, Dr. Douglas R. Lowy, provided an NCI update for meeting attendees.

"Yesterday I was acting director of the NCI; today I woke up with a new boss," Dr. Lowy quipped in his opening remarks.

Dr. Lowy highlighted some priority areas for the NCI, including better communicating the value of cancer research, in part to counteract misinformation about cancer that patients encounter online.

He also touted the need for technology development in health disparities research, urging that disparity considerations come at the beginning of the process when developing a new tool.

Regarding the NCI’s strategic vision for clinical trials, Dr. Lowy identified four goals: streamline processes for trial design and execution; decrease regulatory hurdles and broaden trial access; focus on essential endpoints; and increase efficiency of data collection.

On the leadership front, the meeting featured a day of sessions for new cancer center directors – those who started their tenures in 2019 or later. Led by seasoned cancer center leaders, the meeting agenda offered candid guidance on challenges like communicating with institutional leaders, elevating the impact of the clinical trials office, and navigating community outreach and engagement.

In a similar vein, AACI President Dr. Caryn Lerman provided an update on her presidential initiative, the Leadership Diversity and Development Initiative. As part of the initiative, AACI will host a meeting November 8-9, at the Loews O'Hare Chicago Hotel, for emerging cancer center leaders.

Three AACI awards were presented during the meeting:

• Dr. Elizabeth M. Jaffee, deputy director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University, received the Distinguished Scientist Award. She was recognized for her breakthrough research on the complex interaction between the immune system and pancreatic cancer.

• The Cancer Health Equity Award was presented to Dr. Electra D. Paskett, associate director for population sciences and community outreach, and founding director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James)

• Doug Ulman, president and CEO of Pelotonia, accepted the Champion for Cures Award. Pelotonia is a three-day experience of cycling, entertainment, and volunteerism that has raised more than $250 million for OSUCCC – James.

Reviewing AACI’s service to members in 2022, Executive Director Jennifer W. Pegher acknowledged annual meeting support from AbbVie, Advarra, Caris Life Sciences, Deep 6 AI, ECG Management, Florence, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Huron Consulting Group, Inspirata, Janssen, Merck, nCoup, Novartis, Patient Resource, Servier, Takeda, TriNetX, Triomics, UHealth Miami, Varian Medical Systems, Verily, WellSky, and YUNU, Inc.

2022 meeting recordings and highlights are available on Attendee Hub. The 2023 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting is slated to take place October 1-3, 2023 at the Salamander Washington DC (formerly Mandarin Oriental).