The National Comprehensive Cancer Network and NCCN Foundation select five Young Investigator Award recipients from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of leading cancer centers—announces the 2026 recipients for the annual NCCN Foundation®Young Investigator Awards. The awards grant early career investigators funding to advance research on important issues in oncology. The recipients were selected by the NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP), which will provide oversight and guidance across the two-year program.
NCCN Foundation 2026 Young Investigator Award (YIA) recipients. Left to right: Drs. Monica F. Chen, Yang Chen, Scott Furlan, Emily L. Podany, and Satoru Osuka. Learn more at NCCN.org/YIA
"We have a rigorous peer review process for identifying emerging leaders in cancer research through their work," said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, CEO, NCCN. "NCCN Young Investigators go on to lead within their institutions and nationally. This year's recipients identified particularly pressing needs that impact people with cancer. They are exploring solutions to unlock better outcomes for all in the future. We are honored to play a role in their career trajectory and look forward to seeing where it takes them."
The 2026 NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Awardees are:
Monica F. Chen, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
CXCR2 Inhibition Combined with Proton Craniospinal Irradiation for Patients with Melanoma and Leptomeningeal Disease
Yang Chen, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Targeting Fibroinflammation to Prevent Resistance to KRAS Inhibition in Pancreatic Cancer
Scott Furlan, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Residual Disease, Revealed: Defining Age-Specific and Shared Stem-Like Programs Driving Relapse in AML
Emily L. Podany, MD, MPHS, Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine
From Screening to Action: Implementing Navigation Interventions for Patients with Breast Cancer and High-Risk Social Determinants of Health
Satoru Osuka, MD, PhD, O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB
Tumor-Matrix-Binding TGF-β scFv to Suppress TGF-β Signaling in Recurrent Glioblastoma
"Congratulations to this year's exceptional group of awardees," said Patrick Delaney, Executive Director, NCCN Foundation. "We see tremendous potential in each of these early-career researchers and their chosen projects. This is as much an investment in their ideas as it is in them, as we are committed to building future leaders. Our list of noteworthy past recipients includes NCCN's CEO, Dr. Denlinger, along with many other high achievers serving our mission of defining and advancing high-quality cancer prevention and care."
This year's awards were made possible through funding from the NCCN Foundation with support from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Daiichi Sankyo; Edith C. Blum Foundation; Exelixis, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; and Pfizer Inc.
The NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Awards program began 15 years ago, as an effort to honor and support promising up-and-coming researchers in oncology. The awards help strengthen the pipeline for future successes in the fight against cancer. Past awardees recently presented their findings during the NCCN 2026 Annual Conference; this year's awardees will present their work during the NCCN 2029 Annual Conference.
View the full list of past winners at NCCN.org/YIA and learn how to support future research by visiting NCCN.org/Foundation.
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.
About the NCCN Foundation The NCCN Foundation empowers people with cancer and their caregivers by delivering unbiased expert guidance from the world's leading cancer experts through the library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients® and other patient education resources. The NCCN Foundation is also committed to advancing cancer treatment by funding the nation's promising young investigators at the forefront of cancer research. For more information about the NCCN Foundation, visit nccnfoundation.org.
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