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Cancer Research Ally Award Recipients Announced
Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) will be honored with the Cancer Research Ally Award before the 2025 AACI/AACR Hill Day, which will be held Thursday, May 22 in Washington, DC. The awards will be presented during an evening reception on Wednesday, May 21.
Rep. Raskin is a two-time survivor of cancer, having been diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2010 and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a serious but curable cancer, in 2022. He received treatment for his cancer at Georgetown for several months and continued to work in his representative position, sharing his experiences and demonstrating resilience. He has been a steadfast supporter and sponsor of legislation related to health, equitable access to cancer care, telehealth, and Medicare improvements, including the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act. Rep. Raskin is also a strong proponent for medical research, with the Bethesda-based National Institutes of Health (NIH) headquarters located in his district.
Sen. Collins has been a leading advocate for advancing cancer research and improving patient outcomes, in Maine and nationwide. She has sponsored and supported critical legislation, such as the reauthorization of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and the Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act. She also helped strengthen Maine’s cancer research infrastructure through investment in clinic renovations and cutting-edge equipment. Since January 2025, Sen. Collins has served as the first Republican woman to lead the Senate Appropriations Committee. Her bipartisan leadership continues to drive progress in cancer prevention, early detection, and access to care. This was recently displayed in the first full committee hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee in the 119th Congress, "Biomedical Research: Keeping America's Edge in Innovation." Barry P. Sleckman, MD, PhD, director of the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, was among the witnesses who delivered testimony at the hearing, speaking about the critical need for federally funded cancer research.
The annual Cancer Research Ally Award recognizes two members of Congress (one Democrat and one Republican) for their support of and advocacy for cancer research. Past recipients have included Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Brian Higgins (D-NY), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Fred Upton (R-MI), and Rob Wittman (R-VA); and Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Roy Blunt (R-MO).