NCCN grants funding to five oncology leaders of the future

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.

"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. 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."

Patrick Delaney, Executive Director, NCCN Foundation

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.