The National Comprehensive Cancer Network launches new fellowship program to connect people on the front lines of cancer care to share their knowledge and experience with lawmakers in Washington
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., April 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—has announced the inaugural group of Advocacy Academy Fellows. The NCCN Advocacy Academy is a new program launched in 2026 to ensure that voices of oncology professionals are present at the health policy decision-making table. The program is intended to provide oncology fellows and junior faculty at NCCN Member Institutions with advocacy skills and training to champion policies that will improve the lives of all people impacted by cancer across the United States.
NCCN 2026 Advocacy Academy Fellows. Top, left to right: Drs. Agrawal, Ali, Boulter, Cunha, Diaz, and Isaacs. Bottom, left to right: Drs. Kim, Makhoul, Podany, Scher, Su, and White. Visit NCCN.org/advocacy-academy to learn more.
"Everyone should have tools to make informed decisions about what is best for their health. Similarly, policymakers need tools and information to guide effective health policy," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, CEO, NCCN. "This program will cultivate policy leadership skills among emerging scientists and care providers—who see and treat people impacted by cancer every day—and connect them with the people who have the power to solve the biggest challenges we face in cancer care."
The NCCN Policy Team selected 12 doctors to participate in this new program. They will go through a series of training sessions to learn about the policymaking process. The fellows will learn from national leaders in their areas of interest, receive coaching and mentorship, and attend meetings with congressional delegations, to advance a key health policy project of their choosing.
The inaugural cohort for the NCCN Advocacy Academy, and their chosen projects include:
Neha Agrawal, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Addressing the IRA Pill Penalty and Expanding Decentralized Trial Access for Small Molecule Cancer Therapies
Alaa Ali, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center
Advocating for a National Strategy to Protect the Cellular and Gene Therapy Pipeline: Strengthening Government, Academic, and Industry Collaboration from Bench to Bedside
Alexis Chen Boulter, MD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Expanding Pediatric Home Infusion Capacity via Introduction of a Pediatric Complexity Payment Adjustment
Mateus Trinconi Cunha, MD, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Establishing an Ohio Policy Pathway to Ensure Timely Coverage of Evidence-Based Biomarker Testing and Essential Functional Rehabilitation Services for Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Adrian Diaz, MD, MPH, The UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
Developing Oncology-Specific Network Adequacy Standards for Medicaid Managed Care: A Scalable Policy Framework
Dayna Jill Isaacs, MD, MPH, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
Developing National Educational Workshops to Promote Guideline-Concordant, High-Quality Cancer Care
Roger Kim, MD, MSCE, Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania
Early Intervention for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Ahed Makhoul, MD, MBA, Cleveland Clinic Cancer Institute / Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Bridging the Gap: A Concurrent Hospice-Oncology Care Model for Multiple Myeloma
Emily L. Podany, MD, MPHS, Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine *
Improving Education on the Cancer Risks of Coldwater Creek and How to Apply for the Newly Expanded Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
Alyssa Scher, MD, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Expanded Insurance Approval for Use of Buprenorphine in Cancer-Related Pain
Christopher Su, MD, MPH, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Supporting Federal and State-Level Medical Debt Reforms
McKenzie J. White, MD, Moffitt Cancer Center
Cancer Care and Management Deficits in Rural Patients and American Indian / Alaska Native Patients: Focus on Timely Diagnosis and Screening
* Dr. Podany was also announced as an NCCN Foundation 2026 Young Investigator Award recipient for research on implementing navigation interventions for patients with breast cancer and high-risk social determinants of health.
"We are very impressed with our first group of NCCN Advocacy Academy Fellows and look forward to helping them cultivate their skills to share their firsthand experience with policymakers," said Alyssa Schatz, DrPH, MSW, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy, NCCN. "This program will create a pipeline of trusted medical leaders that can help to drive evidence-based cancer policy at all levels of government."
"These projects address key issues like medical debt, access to biomarker testing, pain management, and high-quality care," noted Victoria Hood, MPP, Senior Manager, Policy and Advocacy, NCCN. "The NCCN Advocacy Academy Fellows will work to advance policies that enable everyone to experience the best possible outcomes from cancer."
The NCCN Policy Department focuses on improving patient access to high-quality, evidence-based cancer care through engagement with policymakers, regulatory agencies, and private and public payers. The team also collaborates with numerous non-governmental organizations to identify and address systemic barriers to quality cancer prevention, treatment, and supportive services.
Applications for the second class of NCCN Advocacy Academy Fellows will open at the beginning of 2027. Learn more about the initiative at NCCN.org/advocacy-academy, and about the NCCN Policy Program priorities at NCCN.org/policy.
About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®) is a not-for-profit alliance of leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. NCCN is dedicated to defining and advancing quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care and prevention so all people can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus-driven recommendations for cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit NCCN.org for more information.
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