Dana-Farber Researchers Receive AACR 2026 Scientific Achievement Awards

Dr. Eliezer Van Allen and Dr. Kimberly Stegmaier have been selected by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) as recipients of 2026 Scientific Achievement Awards. Both researchers will be honored during the AACR Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17-22 at the San Diego Convention Center.

AACR-Waun Ki Hong Award for Outstanding Achievement in Translational and Clinical Cancer Research

Van Allen is the recipient of the AACR-Waun Ki Hong Award for Outstanding Achievement in Translational and Clinical Cancer Research. Van Allen is chief of the Division of Population Sciences and the Chandra Nohria Family Chair for AI in Cancer Research at Dana-Farber. He is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an institute member at the Broad Institute. Van Allen is being recognized for pioneering discoveries that have advanced precision oncology through the integration of cancer genomics and computational biology to identify molecular determinants of therapeutic response and resistance. Through large-scale tumor sequencing and integrative genomic analyses, Van Allen’s research has defined genomic mechanisms underlying resistance to targeted therapies, including BRAF inhibition in melanoma, and identified genomic features associated with response to immune checkpoint blockade. His work has advanced biomarker discovery and the use of genomic data to guide personalized cancer treatments, as well as bridge advances in artificial intelligence with translational cancer research to impact discovery.

This award, supported by the Waun Ki Hong Endowment Fund, recognizes worthy cancer researchers who have conducted highly meritorious translational and clinical cancer research anywhere in the world and who have not yet reached 51 years of age at the time of the award presentation.

Van Allen’s award lecture will be held on Sunday, April 19, at 4:30 p.m. PT.

AACR-St. Baldrick’s Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Cancer Research

Stegmaier is the recipient of the AACR-St. Baldrick’s Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Cancer Research. Stegmaier, a newly elected Fellow of the AACR Academy, serves as chair in the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber and as the David G. Nathan Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. She is also the associate chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Boston Children’s Hospital and an institute member at the Broad Institute. Stegmaier is being recognized for seminal contributions to pediatric precision oncology, including foundational genomic discoveries that defined the unique molecular landscape of childhood cancers and led to the identification of key drivers of fusion oncoprotein positive malignancies. Her research uses systematic functional genomic screening and chemical biology strategies to identify critical dependencies in high-risk acute leukemias and pediatric solid tumors. Stegmaier has also successfully led “Big Science” initiatives, such as the Pediatric Cancer Dependency Map, and has leveraged this data to make conceptual advances involving activation lethality and the discovery of therapeutic targets. Her work has advanced the understanding of pediatric leukemia and solid tumor biology and has enabled new approaches for targeted therapies in these malignancies.

This award, supported by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to any area of pediatric cancer research, resulting in the fundamental improvement of the understanding and/or treatment of pediatric cancer.

Stegmaier’s award lecture will be held on Monday, April 20, at 5:00 p.m. PT.