The 2026 Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations conference unites stakeholders who are conducting patient, community, and translational cancer research. Conference attendees will receive information on the latest biomedical and population-based findings on cancer, identify effective approaches for engaging people in cancer research, and leave with ideas for advancing the science of cancer for Latinos and all populations.
AACI Update | February 2026
Headlines
New Director Appointed for Perlmutter Cancer Center
Anirban Maitra, MD, a physician–scientist whose work has widely influenced the field of pancreatic cancer research, has been appointed as the new director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Before joining NYU Langone, Dr. Maitra served as the inaugural scientific director of the Pancreatic Cancer Research Center at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
AACI 2025 Report: Common Goals, Collective Action
This past year posed unprecedented challenges for AACI and its members. Throughout 2025, the cancer center community demonstrated strength and resilience amid uncertainty and upheaval. AACI's 2025 report highlights how collective action is helping cancer centers achieve their common goals.
Posit PBC to Host Workshop at 2026 AACI CADEx Conference
2026 AACI CADEx Conference Champion Supporter Posit PBC will host "AI, R & Shiny for Catchment Area Cancer Surveillance" on Tuesday, March 10, during the CADEx conference. This two-hour workshop will teach attendees a 100 percent open-source workflow for building interactive, geospatial apps for cancer surveillance. Facilitators are Posit PBC Life Sciences and Healthcare Industry Director Phil Bowsher and Director of Learning Garrett Grolemund.
Abstract Winners Announced for 2026 AACI CADEx Conference
The AACI Catchment Area Data Excellence (CADEx) Conference Planning Committee has selected three abstracts from 48 submissions for formal presentation at the 2026 AACI Catchment Area Data Excellence (CADEx) Conference, March 9-11, in Atlanta. Winning abstract authors represent Moffitt Cancer Center; The University of Kansas Cancer Center; and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Two-Part REDCap Workshop Series: Virtual and In-Person Sessions
AACI will host a two-part REDCap workshop series designed to support cancer center professionals at different stages of REDCap use. This series, facilitated by Todd Burus, PhD, and Namoonga Mantina, PhD, begins with a virtual introductory session and continues with an in-person, advanced workshop at the 2026 AACI Catchment Area Data Excellence (CADEx) Conference in Atlanta.
AACI and Medlive Advance Education on CAR T-Cell Therapy Through Video-Based Learning
AACI is collaborating with Medlive, a leader in expert-guided digital medical education, on a series of educational video initiatives focused on CAR T-cell therapy. This partnership supports AACI’s mission to provide cancer center leaders and care teams with timely, evidence-based education on emerging therapies and evolving models of care in hematologic malignancies. Through this collaboration, AACI and Medlive have launched three active video-based projects exploring the transformative impact of CAR T-cell therapy.
AACI Award Nominations Due February 23
AACI members are invited to submit nominations for the 2026 Cancer Health Equity, Champion for Cures, and Distinguished Scientist awards. Any faculty and staff at AACI member institutions are eligible to submit nominations for all three awards; recipients will be selected from the slate of nominees by AACI's Board of Directors. The awards will be presented during the 2026 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting, October 25-27, in Chicago.
AACI Welcomes New Corporate Roundtable, Tech Gold Members
AACI is pleased to announce that Gilead and Novartis have joined its Corporate Roundtable and Medidata and Paradigm Health have become Tech Gold members in 2026. By building important relationships with AACI cancer centers, Corporate Roundtable and Tech Gold members have the potential to accelerate progress against cancer, benefiting patients and their families.
Paid Advertisement: Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson
The 2026 Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations conference unites stakeholders who are conducting patient, community, and translational cancer research. Conference attendees will receive information on the latest biomedical and population-based findings on cancer, identify effective approaches for engaging people in cancer research, and leave with ideas for advancing the science of cancer for Latinos and all populations.
News from the Centers
Goodman Elected to ASCO Board
Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center
Karyn Goodman, MD, MS, was elected to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Board of Directors as the Designated Radiation Oncologist. Dr. Goodman has had a long history of ASCO involvement, with membership on multiple ASCO volunteer groups including the Gastrointestinal (GI) Guideline Advisory Group, and the GI Cancers Symposium Steering Committee (serving as meeting chair in 2018).
Beckerle Honored With Executive Leadership Award
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Mary Beckerle, PhD, CEO emerita of Huntsman Cancer Institute, was honored with the 2025 Executive Leadership Award by the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce in recognition of her enduring contributions to Utah County, including her exemplary leadership in the development of the Huntsman Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in Vineyard.
Therapy Using Engineered Immune Cells to Kill Prostate Cancer Earns $1.8 Million Department of Defense Grant
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Researchers at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and the VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine were recently awarded a $1.8 million, 3-year grant from the United States Department of Defense to study the implications of using a modified enhanced therapeutic version of melanoma differentiation associated gene-7/Interleukin-24, IL-24 ‘Superkine’ delivered by immune (natural killer) cells to fight advanced prostate cancer.
ARPA-H Award Will Fund Creation of Portable Lymphatic Imaging Scanner
The University of Arizona Cancer Center
Researchers at the University of Arizona were awarded up to $1.8 million by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to develop a lymphatic scanner small and light enough for physicians to bring with them to diagnose and monitor patients with lymphatic disease.
$1 Million Lung Cancer Screening Grant Awarded
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Lucy Spalluto, MD, MPH, and Jennifer Lewis, MD, have received a grant from AstraZeneca to understand and improve veteran access to mobile lung cancer screening. The study, "REACHing veterans at high risk for lung cancer outside the guidelines and through mobile screening," will receive approximately $1 million in total grant funding over a four-year period.
Grant Backs Cutting-Edge Ovarian Cancer Research
University of Virginia Cancer Center
Promising ovarian cancer research by Melanie Rutkowski, PhD, has won $700,000 in support from the Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers in partnership with Pelotonia and the American Association for Cancer Research. She is studying the role of the microbiome in ovarian cancer and in the disease’s stubborn ability to resist immune therapy.
Stony Brook Receives Endowment Pledge
Stony Brook Cancer Center
The Stony Brook Cancer Center has announced that the Strohm Foundation has pledged a $335,000 gift for an endowment to advance innovative cancer research and strengthen long‑term support for scientific discovery. This gift will be amplified through the New York State endowment match program and the Simons Infinity Investment, which will generate a total impact of $1,005,000 for cancer research and the university’s unrestricted endowment.
Investigator Targets Key Enzyme Complex to Treat KRAS-Mutated Lung Cancer
University of Cincinnati Cancer Center
Tom Cunningham, PhD, has received a two-year grant from the Lung Cancer Research Foundation to test approaches to neutralize an enzyme complex that plays a vital role in the growth of KRAS-mutated lung cancers. The grant builds on research from Dr. Cunningham’s lab that traced the evolutionary origins of the phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase enzyme complex and identified how it helps drive lymphoma growth.
Altieri Leadership Transition Announced
Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center of The Wistar Institute
Dario C. Altieri, MD, Wistar’s president and CEO, director of the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center, and Robert and Penny Fox Distinguished Professor, will step down from his leadership role in 2026. The Board of Trustees will undertake a comprehensive national search process to identify his successor. Dr. Altieri is a past member of AACI's Board of Directors.
Sellers Appointed Deputy Director of Population Sciences
Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center
Thomas Sellers, PhD, has joined the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center as deputy director of population sciences. Dr. Sellers hopes to harness his experience in transdisciplinary research to inspire the cancer prevention and control program, build on community outreach and engagement, and ultimately demonstrate the achievements and impact expected of a comprehensive cancer center. He is a past member of the AACI Board of Directors.
Kimple Named Chair of Radiation Oncology
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
Randall J. Kimple, MD, PhD, MBA, FASTRO, a radiation oncologist at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, will join the University of Rochester as Philip Rubin Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology. He will also serve on the executive committee for Wilmot Cancer Institute, an NCI-Designated Cancer Center.
Major Study Identifies Proteins Linked to Prostate Cancer
LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center
A large national and international study has identified dozens of blood proteins linked to prostate cancer risk – some shared across populations, some unique to specific groups. The study seeks to improve understanding of the various causes of prostate cancer across different populations. It is led by Lang Wu, PhD, associate director of population science at LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center.
New Drug Delivery Mechanism Could Aid Breast Cancer Treatment
UF Health Cancer Institute
UF Health Cancer Institute scientists have found a way to make treatment for a notoriously aggressive breast cancer more effective. Using a delivery system that relies on extracellular vesicles, the team was able to circumvent two common difficulties associated with a targeted treatment for triple negative breast cancer: access to tumor sites and stable and effective transport in the body.
Study Finds a Better Way to Screen for Breast Cancer
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Results from the WISDOM study have found that an individualized approach to breast cancer screening that assesses patients’ risk, rather than automatically giving annual mammograms, can lower the chance of more advanced cancers, while still safely matching people to the amount of screening they need.
First Patient in U.S. is Treated With New Lung Cancer Therapy
UK Markey Cancer Center
UK Markey Cancer Center has treated the first patient in the U.S. with a new immunotherapy for small cell lung cancer, offering hope for patients whose cancers have stopped responding to other treatments. Markey is the first site in the country to open a clinical trial for ZG006 (Alveltamig), an experimental drug that works by connecting disease-fighting T cells to cancer cells, allowing the body’s immune system to attack the cancer.
Major Review Highlights Barriers to Follow-up Care for Childhood Cancer Survivors
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
A Keck School of Medicine of USC review of more than 8,500 research publications found that barriers ranging from gaps in specialized care to emotional trauma may explain why many people with childhood cancer do not get the recommended survivorship care.
Model Predicts Long Term Mortality Risk From Prostate Cancer
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
University of Michigan researchers have developed a model that can help doctors and patients understand their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) results and what they mean for patient life expectancy. Current tools do not consider how long someone may live or the benefit they may receive from treatment.
Inflammatory Immune Cells Predict Survival, Relapse in Multiple Myeloma
Siteman Cancer Center
A new study co-led by Siteman Cancer Center maps the immune cell landscape of bone marrow in patients with multiple myeloma, aiming to improve survival predictions, guide treatment decisions and help in the development of new immune-based therapies.
A Natural 'Safety Switch' Protects the Liver as It Heals From Injury, Study Finds
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
New research reveals a natural "safety switch: that allows liver cells to pause growth during injury, helping protect against cancer while the liver heals and pointing to potential new treatments for chronic liver disease.
Investigators Offer Free Atlas of Immunotherapy Responses in Pancreatic Cancers
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Oncologists have achieved some immune system responses in pancreatic cancer patients using combinations of vaccines and immune checkpoint inhibitor drugs, but it’s not always clear which therapy is inducing what response. Now, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center investigators have made public a free, web-based atlas of mass cytometry profiles from metastatic pancreatic cancer patients. The National Institutes of Health partly funded the work.
Finding New Cell Markers to Track Most Aggressive Breast Cancer in Blood
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Searching for a better way to follow metastasis progression, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have developed a procedure to enhance the detection of triple-negative breast cancercells collected from a simple blood draw. This new approach led to the identification of four new proteins on the surface of live circulating tumor cells that specifically identify these cells.
New Imaging Approach Reduces Unnecessary Breast Biopsies by Nearly 25 Percent
Siteman Cancer Center
In a new discovery at Siteman Cancer Center, a team of researchers and physicians found that utilizing ultrasound-guided diffuse optical tomography technology can reduce unnecessary breast biopsy rates by nearly 25 percent.
Brain Cancer Digital Twin Predicts Treatment Outcomes
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
A machine learning-based approach to mapping real-time tumor metabolism in brain cancer patients, developed at the University of Michigan, could help doctors discover which treatment strategies are most likely to be effective against individual cases of glioma. The team verified the accuracy of the model by comparing it against human patient data and running mouse experiments.
Novel Endocrine Therapy Reduces the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
In an international study led by UCLA, researchers have shown that giredestrant, a next-generation oral selective estrogen receptor antagonist and degrader, when given as an adjuvant therapy for early-stage (1-3) hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, significantly lowered the risk of the disease returning when compared with standard hormone therapies long considered the backbone of treatment.
Immune Clues Could Personalize Multiple Myeloma Treatment
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Researchers at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University helped lead a multi-institutional study that created the largest-ever single-cell immune atlas of bone marrow in patients with multiple myeloma. The findings reveal that the state of a patient’s immune system at diagnosis, in addition to the genetics of their tumor, can predict how their disease will progress and respond to treatment.
Researchers Work to Enhance HPV Self-Testing to Screen for Cervical Cancer
UF Health Cancer Institute
In a new study, UF Health Cancer Institute researchers used community focus groups to zero in on ways to improve patient education materials on human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection. The study identifies ways to make education materials more accessible and reduce barriers to getting screened, thus empowering women to collect their samples at home.
Oral Bacterium May Promote Breast Cancer Development and Spread
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy found that an oral bacterium commonly associated with periodontal disease can promote breast cancer initiation and tumor growth, and spread by inducing DNA damage and altering cancer cell behavior.
Uncovering Hidden Complexity of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Duke Cancer Institute
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a heterogeneous group of tumors that, until now, have largely been treated the same way. The analysis of a large national database showed that TNBC tumors with HER2-low expression respond less effectively to chemotherapy compared to those with no HER2 expression at all. This finding prompted deeper investigation into the molecular differences between these subtypes.
AI is Helping Doctors See Prostate Cancer More Clearly and Guide More Effective Treatments
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
In a series of new UCLA-led studies, investigators have made significant progress on an AI tool, called Unfold AI, which combines MRI data with biopsy results to generate a detailed, 3D map of where cancer sits inside the prostate. The technology is being developed in partnership with the UCLA-founded startup Avenda Health.
Benefit of Nivolumab Combo in Teens With Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma Confirmed
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Teens with advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma survive longer without their disease getting worse when they receive the immunotherapy nivolumab (Opdivo) instead of the immunotherapy brentuximab vedotin (brand name Adcetris) along with chemotherapy, according to the updated results of a subset analysis of a landmark Phase III clinical trial.
Research Leads to Updated HPV Clinical Guidelines
UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute
A research initiative at the University of Mississippi Medical Center studying human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes has contributed to updated national clinical guidelines from the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. The revised guidelines have led to the adoption of new technology to detect an extended amount of HPV genotypes found through cancer screening testing.
Women Who Receive Mammograms Also Undergo Lung Scans if Notified of Eligibility
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
While most women over age 50 schedule mammograms for breast cancer, only a minority who are also eligible for low-dose CT scans for lung cancer undergo those potentially lifesaving screenings. A new study shows that targeted outreach can close the gap.
Uncovering Why Cancer Immunotherapy Leads to Heart Inflammation
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
A UCSF-led study found that anti-LAG-3/anti-PD-1 combination therapy shows a higher risk of myocarditis compared to other immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) treatments. Using Vigibase, a pharmacovigilance database, the team first found that anti-LAG-3/anti-PD-1 therapy increased the risk of ICI myocarditis four-fold in human patients compared to anti-PD-1 therapy alone. Further investigation using mice showed that the resulting severe cardiac inflammation was associated with spontaneous arrhythmias.
Autologous T Cell Therapy Targeting Multiple Antigens Shows Promise Treating Pancreatic Cancer
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
A recent study describes a novel immunotherapy targeting pancreatic cancer that has shown promising results in a first in-human phase 1/2 trial. The TACTOPS trial, which investigated the safety and clinical effects of autologous T cell therapy targeting multiple tumor antigens, was a collaboration between Baylor College of Medicine, the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Houston Methodist Hospital.
Scientists Develop Sugar-Based Molecule to Target Cancer Stem Cells
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
For more than three decades, researchers at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center have investigated one of biology’s most intricate and least understood molecular families – and the potential to prevent cancer relapse. They have pioneered development of a VCU-owned molecule that targets colorectal cancer stem cells, and ongoing pre-clinical studies are a key step toward an Investigational New Drug submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Trial Shows Promising Therapy for Aggressive Brain Cancer
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah participated in a clinical trial that found that a new combination treatment plan helped people with recurrent grade 3 astrocytoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, live longer.
Concerns Raised About Faster Aging, Possible Early-Onset Dementia, for Children and Young Adult Cancer Survivors
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors age faster than their peers who did not have cancer, according to a new study, which also describes how accelerated aging occurs both at the cellular level and in brain function. The journal Nature Communications published the research, led by Wilmot Cancer Institute investigator AnnaLynn Williams, PhD, and co-corresponding author Kevin Krull, PhD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
In Memoriam: Ben Seon, 1936-2025
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Ben K. Seon, PhD, a senior faculty member and distinguished immunology scientist at Roswell Park across six decades, died December 17, 2025, at age 89. Dr. Seon had a remarkably long and impactful career, reaching a milestone few scientists ever achieve – U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a drug based on his innovative ideas and fundamental discoveries.
New Pancreatic Cancer Center Announced
Duke Cancer Institute
The Duke Cancer Institute has launched a multidisciplinary pancreatic cancer center. The center is led by Executive Director Peter Allen, MD, and Deputy Directors Daniel Nussbaum, MD, and John Strickler, MD.
Cancer Institute Expands OnCore to Strengthen Clinical Trials
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute has fully implemented the Advarra OnCore Clinical Trials Management System to strengthen oversight, efficiency, and growth of cancer clinical trials. Approximately 150 users across the cancer institute and the UAMS Translational Research Institute are now using the system to manage 303 active clinical trials and track 1,127 patients enrolled in studies.
Partnership Advances 3D Genome Diagnostics for Cancer Care
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Fox Chase Cancer Center and Arima Genomics, Inc., a company leveraging whole-genome sequence and structure information to provide comprehensive cancer therapy selection insights, have announced a new partnership to bring advanced diagnostics based on analysis of the three-dimensional structure of DNA into broad clinical practice.
Survivorship Care Educational Opportunities Announced
Rutgers Cancer Institute
Join the Project ECHO Survivorship Series – Community Cancer Action Resource Education Series (CARES). Sessions will be held in February and March. They are designed to connect health care professionals, community health workers, and advocates to share best practices and strengthen survivorship care.
Cancer Center Jobs
Chair, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Read moreAssociate Director of Population Health and Cancer Control
UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute
Read moreMeeting Announcements
Advancing Cancer Research for Latinos and All Populations
February 18, 2026
Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute International Meeting: Microbes, Genes and Cancer
March 2, 2026
Formerly known in the field as the “Robert Gallo” meeting, the Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute International Meeting will focus on the critical links between microbes, genetics, and cancer, with discussions highlighting emerging research and therapeutic innovations.
2026 AACI Catchment Area Data Excellence (CADEx) Conference
March 9, 2026
The 3-day CADEx conference convenes experts in cancer center catchment area data and community engagement to share best practices. Attendees will explore policies and methodologies to advance cancer center catchment area analytics.
Registration is now open.
Support Opportunities
Hotel Information
2026 AACI/AACR Hill Day
May 14, 2026
Your participation in the 2026 AACI/AACR Hill Day is crucial to sharing our message with our legislators in Washington: that stable, predictable funds for the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute are critical for advancing cancer research and care at our nation’s cancer centers. We encourage each cancer center to send at least one representative to Washington to advocate on your center’s behalf.
Registration for this free event opens Monday, February 16, 2026.
18th Annual AACI Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) Meeting
June 23, 2026
The 3-day CRI annual meeting includes panel discussions, breakout sessions, and presentations of abstracts and posters, which aim to establish best practices for cancer center clinical trials offices. Registration opens Monday, March 2, 2026.
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2026 AACI Leadership Development Workshop
October 24, 2026
The 2026 Leadership Development Workshop will be held in conjunction with the 2026 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting. Registration opens Friday, May 1, 2026.
This event convenes emerging leaders for didactic and experiential leadership development sessions. An offshoot of Dr. Caryn Lerman’s AACI presidential initiative, the workshop aims to enhance the oncology leadership pipeline with top talent.
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2026 Impact Summit
October 24, 2026
The 2026 Impact Summit will be held in conjunction with the 2026 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting. Registration opens Friday, May 1, 2026.
Co-hosted by AACI, the American Cancer Society, and the Cancer Center Network, the Impact Summit brings together cancer center leaders, researchers, and key stakeholders for a dynamic one-day event focused on strengthening the future of cancer center leadership and workforce development.
Support Opportunities
2026 New Cancer Center Directors Meeting
October 24, 2026
The 2026 New Cancer Center Directors Meeting will be held in conjunction with the 2026 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting. Registration opens Friday, May 1, 2026.
2026 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting
October 25, 2026
The 3-day AACI/CCAF annual meeting offers AACI members the opportunity to network with cancer center colleagues, national cancer research and advocacy groups, industry, and government health agencies to develop solutions to common challenges. Registration opens Friday, May 1, 2026.
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