Four 2025 Young Investigator Award Recipients Announced by NCCN Foundation

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®), in collaboration with the NCCN Foundation®, has selected four recipients to receive the 2025 NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Awards (YIA). These prestigious awards are designed to provide critical funding to early-career oncology researchers at NCCN Member Institutions who are working on innovative studies aimed at improving cancer treatment and care.

Each of the four awardees will receive up to $150,000 in research funding over a two-year period. Oversight for these projects will be provided by the NCCN Oncology Research Program (ORP), ensuring that the supported studies maintain a strong focus on impactful outcomes in cancer treatment.

“Early-career researchers bring fresh perspectives to some of the most complex challenges in cancer care,” said Crystal S. Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN—a former NCCN Foundation YIA recipient. "Supporting these investigators and their work is critical for advancing cancer treatment and outcomes. This program is an investment in their potential—and in the discoveries that will improve cancer outcomes in the future.”

The 2025 NCCN Foundation Young Investigator recipients are:

• Rachel Abelman, MD, Mass General Cancer Center, a founding member of Mass General Brigham healthcare system; Harvard Medical School for A Phase II Study of Response-Guided Sacituzumab Govitecan (SG) in Combination with Pembrolizumab in Localized Triple Negative Breast Cancer (SG) – NeoSTAR A2 Cohort

• Mathew Angelos, MD, PhD, University of Colorado Cancer Center for A Phase I, First-In Human Study to Evaluate the Safety and Preliminary Clinical Activity of Autologous Anti-CD64 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cells in Patients with Refractory or Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia

• Kathryn Tringale, MD, MAS, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center for Comprehensive Neuroimaging and Molecular Biomarkers of Neurotoxicity Following CAR T-Cell Therapy

• Jennifer Zhang, MD, Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania for Intratumoral CD40 Agonist and Checkpoint Blockade in Resectable Breast Cancer

“It is an honor to support some of the rising stars in oncology who are driving the next wave of cancer breakthroughs,” said Patrick Delaney, Executive Director of the NCCN Foundation. “These talented researchers are tackling pressing challenges in cancer care today. We are eager to see how their work will transform the field.”