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All photos by Randy Belice

Main photo, L to R: AACI Executive Director Jennifer W. Pegher, AACI Immediate Past President Dr. Robert A. Winn, Annual Meeting Program Chair Dr. Candace S. Johnson, NCI Director Dr. Anthony Letai, AACI President Dr. Joann B. Sweasy, and AACI Vice President/President-elect Dr. Cornelia Ulrich

AACI is grateful to over 400 registered attendees, representing 95 cancer centers, who joined us October 25-27 in Chicago for the 2026 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting.

Following an overview of AACI programs, initiatives, and finances on Sunday, October 25, Peter A. James, PhD, president and CEO of HCG Strategic Partners, provided the keynote on navigating systems in which leaders are responsible for outcomes but lack complete decision-making authority. The "middle seat" cancer center leaders often fill, he said, is also the only seat that possesses all the information required to effect change within their institutions. Learning to translate that information helps leaders position themselves as the most important driver of institutional change while avoiding burnout. "Taking care of yourself is not what you do after the transformation; it's the first move of it," said Dr. James. "You are the foundation of every change you're trying to make."

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of Cancer Centers Director Krzysztof Ptak, PhD, MBA, provided an update on major changes to the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) application, review, and merit extension processes. Dr. Ptak also touched on efforts to accelerate clinical trials, including the formation of AACI's Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Steering Committee.

AACI board members, L to R: Dr. Barry P. Sleckman, David M. Gosky, Jennifer W. Pegher, Dr. Gary K. Schwartz, Dr. Yolanda Sanchez, Dr. Jonathan W. Friedberg, Dr. Joann B. Sweasy, Dr. Matthew Vander Heiden, Dr. Cornelia Ulrich, Dr. Suresh Ramalingam, Dr. Robert A. Winn, and Julie C. Schaum

During an AACI Board of Directors meeting preceding the annual meeting kickoff, AACI Executive Director Jennifer W. Pegher welcomed Jonathan W. Friedberg, MD, MMSc, Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine; Primo N. "Lucky" Lara, Jr., MD, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Matthew Vander Heiden, MD, PhD, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, to the board, and acknowledged outgoing members, Raymond N. DuBois, MD, PhD, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, and Yolanda Sanchez, PhD, University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center. The meeting also marked another leadership transition, with AACI Treasurer David M. Gosky, MA, MBA, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health, passing the torch to Julie C. Schaum, MS, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

The day closed with a President's Reception, supported by Natera.

Read More About Gosky, Schaum, and Finance & Investment Committee Changes
Read Our Day 1 Recap

Day 2 of the annual meeting began with "Four Generations, One Workplace," moderated by Annual Meeting Program Chair Candace S. Johnson, PhD, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She was joined on the panel by her Roswell Park colleague Rodney C. Haring, PhD, MSW; Zeno Ashai, MBBS, MPH, USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Stefanie M. Belanger, MHA, CCRP, Duke Cancer Institute. Panelists warned that while generational labels can provide context, they are weak predictors of individual behavior. Their proposed leadership strategies emphasized bilateral communication, strategic planning, mentorship, and a focus on outcomes rather than processes

"We don't need a separate management plan for each generation,” said Dr. Ashai. “We need enough curiosity to understand each person and enough clarity to help them work as a team together."

Introducing a session on mobile cancer screening programs, home-based therapies, and community clinical research partnerships, Hannah Hazard-Jenkins, MD, WVU Cancer Institute, noted that the value of these services is deeply appreciated in under-resourced and under-represented communities. To these populations, said Dr. Hazard-Jenkins, "They are signals that we care."

Dr. Hazard-Jenkins was joined by panelists Alan Balch, PhD, National Patient Advocate Foundation; Mark Doescher, MD, MSPH, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma; Roxana S. Dronca, MD, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Florida; and Eneida Nemecek, MD, MS, MBA, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.        

"The goal is not simply [to] bring screening and treatment to people in places that currently lack access. It's to design the research with and for those very same people you ultimately need to reach," said Dr. Balch.

Next up was the 2026 awards ceremony, during which AACI recognized excellence in health equity, philanthropy, and scientific discovery. Louis M. Weiner, MD, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, honored Georgetown Lombardi's Lucile L. Adams-Campbell, PhD, with this year's AACI Cancer Health Equity Award.

Presenting the award to Dr. Adams-Campbell, Dr. Weiner said, "[M]eaningful progress against cancer requires more than scientific discovery. It requires trust, partnership, and a commitment to reaching people and communities who are often left behind."

AACI President Joann B. Sweasy, PhD, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, presented the AACI Champion for Cures Award to Cattlemen's Ball of Nebraska, Inc., an annual, volunteer-run charitable event that draws over 4,000 attendees to venues across Nebraska to help raise funds for cancer research. Dr. Sweasy recognized the group for its "profound impact" on Buffett Cancer Center and patients throughout the state.

Finally, Suresh Ramalingam, MD, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, acknowledged Emory's Rafi Ahmed, PhD, with the AACI Distinguished Scientist Award. Dr. Ahmed followed the ceremony with a keynote that enhanced meeting attendees' understanding of T-cell exhaustion, particularly as applied to cancer immunotherapy. As one attendee put it, “T cells can get burnout, too.”

Moderating a panel discussion on discoveries at AACI basic science cancer centers, Madeleine Braun, PhD, MBA, The Jackson Laboratory, highlighted the "enormous translational potential" of the work being conducted at basic science centers. Rohit Bhargava, PhD, Cancer Center at Illinois; Reuben J. Shaw, PhD, Salk Institute Cancer Center; and the Koch Institute’s Dr. Vander Heiden focused on engineering- and artificial intelligence-based research, noting the importance of solving problems for as many people as possible worldwide, particularly those living in low- and middle-income countries.

Wendy Law, PhD, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, moderated a dynamic conversation on the NCI CCSG, featuring director/administrator dyads from three cancer centers: John L. Cleveland, PhD, and Brian C. Springer, MHA, Moffitt Cancer Center; Thomas P. Loughran, Jr., MD, and Dina Halme, PhD, UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center; and UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Dr. Sanchez and Rae Ann Paden, MHA. Tips on effective CCSG applications and on-site meetings ranged from the basic—such as following grant application instructions to the letter—to more granular details, like using attention-grabbing typefaces, graphics, and compelling vignettes to convey "palpable enthusiasm."

The day ended with a deeper dive into NCI on-site meetings, moderated by Lauren Hackett, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Johnson returned to the stage, joined by Roy A. Jensen, MD, The University of Kansas (KU) Cancer Center, and W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - The James, to answer questions on establishing dialogues between on-site reviewers and institutional leadership to ensure success with the NCI P30 grant process. "Institutional commitment is vital to cancer research going forward," said Dr. Jensen.

Concurrent with these NCI grant-focused sessions, AACI held its Government Relations (GR) Forum. The meeting included updates on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Operation Trialblazer initiative; a preview of a regular meeting session on global competitiveness in biomedical research; a midterm election update; and brief reports from AACI sustaining members.

Support for the day’s Cancer Center Directors Breakfast and morning break was provided by Advarra and Flatiron, respectively.

Read More About the 2026 AACI Government Relations Forum
Read Our Day 2 Recap

The third and final day began with the 14th Annual AACI Physician Clinical Leadership Initiative meeting, which explored strategies to expand patient access to clinical trials while navigating the operational and regulatory challenges of decentralized models.

Ajay K. Nooka, MD, MPH, Winship Cancer Institute, moderated a panel featuring Jessica Moehle, Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah; Carrie Lee, MD, MPH, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Gary C. Doolittle, MD, KU Cancer Center. Panelists shared practical approaches, lessons learned, and opportunities for collaboration between academic cancer centers and sponsors to improve trial conduct.

Clinical trials were a common thread throughout the day. Thomas J. Lynch, MD, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, moderated a high-energy conversation on threats to clinical trial sustainability, including declining patient accrual, increasing competition with China and Australia, and persistent hurdles to shortening trial activation timelines.

L to R: Drs. Thomas J. George, Margie Kasner, and Patricia LoRusso

Dr. Lynch was joined on the panel by Thomas J. George, Jr., MD, UF Health Cancer Institute; Margie Kasner, MD, MSCE, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson; Patricia LoRusso, DO, Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine; and Dina Aziz, MSHS, UT MD Anderson.

Panelists focused on contracts and budgets as critical elements of clinical trial activation and noted that activating trials in 30 days or less will require collaboration and support from stakeholders across industry, professional associations, cancer centers, and federal agencies.

They stressed the importance of moving quickly to remain competitive and highlighted the NCI's focus on speeding the clinical trial activation process under the leadership of Anthony Letai, MD, PhD, who tapped AACI to spearhead this work with its ACT Steering Committee.

The next panel, moderated by Georgetown Lombardi's Dr. Weiner, shifted focus to emerging innovations in cancer care. Gianpietro Dotti, MD, Lineberger Cancer Center, discussed the use of CAR T cells for therapies that attack tumors while sparing normal tissue. Trang VoPham, PhD, MPH, MS, Fred Hutch, shared harm mitigation efforts drawing from electronic health records and geospatial air pollution data.

Continuing the discussion of China's expanding footprint in biomedical research, Stephen Ezell, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, provided an overview of the intentional policies that positioned the United States as a biopharmaceutical leader in the 1980s. He said that biopharmaceutical leadership is never guaranteed, emphasizing the role of tax credits for research and development and legislation protecting trademarks and patents in establishing the U.S. as a biomedical research leader.

The final session of the meeting was the NCI Director's Report by Dr. Letai (pictured, right). The
highly anticipated presentation began with an overview of the NCI's current scientific initiatives and priorities, including functional precision medicine and public/private partnerships driving the development of therapeutic cancer vaccines.

Dr. Letai emphasized that the National Institutes of Health and NCI have widespread support throughout the federal government, and that extramural awards remain a priority.

Accelerating clinical trials "is doable," said Dr. Letai. However, he stressed, "we cannot keep doing things the same way" and remain competitive on a global stage.

"We are the United States of America," said Dr. Letai. “We can do much better. We really must do much better."

Read Our Day 3 Recap

Preceding the annual meeting, AACI hosted two one-day meetings dedicated to cancer center success. The 2026 AACI New Cancer Center Directors Meeting brought together 23 new leaders from AACI cancer centers for a candid conversation on the unique challenges facing oncology leaders. The 2026 Impact Summit, hosted by AACI in partnership with the Cancer Center Network, drew nearly 100 attendees. Session topics included oncology career pathways, recruiting and developing talent, navigating change, and aligning people and priorities.

AACI also hosted the fourth cohort of its two-day Leadership Development Workshop (LDW) in advance of the annual meeting. The 2027 AACI LDW is slated for October 23-24 in Washington, DC.

Read More About the 2026 AACI Leadership Development Workshop

AACI gratefully acknowledges the following organizations for providing program and exhibit support: Advarra, Caris Life Sciences, Elevate Clinical Research Solutions, Flatiron, Foundation Medicine, Gilead, InfoReady, Merck, Natera, Naur Inc., Paradigm Health, Triomics, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Vizlitics, WCG, and Yunu.

Please save the date for next year’s AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting, October 24-26, 2027, in Washington, DC. The 2027 Impact Summit and the 2027 AACI New Cancer Center Directors Meeting will be held in conjunction with the 2027 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting.

View Photos From the 2026 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting