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Cancer Research Advocates Unite at Hill Day
On Thursday, May 22, AACI co-hosted the 2025 Hill Day with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Hill Day broke attendance records with over 160 participants from 34 states convening in Washington, DC. Cancer center directors, researchers, oncologists, cancer survivors, and other advocates met with legislators and staff on Capitol Hill to present a unified voice in support of stable funding increases for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Advocates gather before Hill Day. (Photo credit: Vera LaMarche-Lewis)
The two-day event started strong on Wednesday, May 21, with a morning congressional briefing at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. The briefing, titled "Protecting a Bipartisan Legacy: Advancing Cancer Research, Saving Lives, Securing the Future," brought together Hill staff, government relations professionals, and cancer center directors for a discussion moderated by AACI President Robert A. Winn, MD, director of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. Additional speakers were:
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Representative Deborah Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
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Roy Herbst, MD, PhD, Ensign Professor of Medicine, chief of medical oncology, Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine
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John Carpten, PhD, chief scientific officer and director, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
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Meghan Lowell, lymphoma survivor and patient advocate, Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
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Vanessa Brandon, colorectal cancer survivor and immunotherapy clinical trial participant, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Pictured, L to R: Dr. Robert A. Winn, Dr. Roy Herbst (standing), Meghan Lowell, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (standing), Vanessa Brandon, and Dr. John Carpten (Photo credit: Vera LaMarche-Lewis)
That afternoon, directors of AACI cancer centers met at Georgetown University’s Capitol campus. The meeting opened with remarks from Dr. Winn and an update on the congressional state of play by John Easton of EFB Advocacy. This was followed by a discussion with Warren A. Kibbe, PhD, NCI's deputy director for data science and strategy, and an open forum for cancer center directors.
The day was capped off with a reception at Rayburn House office building, including remarks by Representatives Ken Calvert (R-CA) and Judy Chu (D-CA). The highlight of the reception was the presentation of the 2025 Cancer Research Ally Award to Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), whose staff accepted the awards on their behalf.
This year, AACI and AACR hosted 14 survivor advocates, who highlighted the far-reaching impacts of cancer through their personal stories, underscoring the importance of continued funding for the NIH and the NCI.
Watch Patient Advocate Interviews on YouTube
Please join AACI and AACR in calling on Congress to provide significant funding increases for the NIH and NCI in fiscal year (FY) 2026. We ask Congress to provide at least $51.3 billion for NIH and $7.934 billion for NCI in FY 2026, consistent with longstanding bipartisan recommendations. Our FY 2026 request is particularly urgent in light of recent and ongoing cuts to federal budgets and staff.