Voting is currently underway for the 2026 Annual Election of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)and will remain open until February 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The election will determine the President-Elect, five members of the Board of Directors, and four members of the Nominating Committee, all of whom will begin their terms at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026.

The election process is overseen by the AACR Nominating Committee, chaired by Charles M. Rudin, MD, PhD, which is responsible for identifying candidates who reflect scientific excellence, leadership, and a commitment to advancing cancer research.

Upholding AACR’s Mission and Values

The AACR Nominating Committee draws upon extensive institutional knowledge to nominate individuals who are leaders and visionaries in cancer science. The committee also prioritizes demographic and scientific diversity, considering gender, race and ethnicity, geographic representation, institutional background, and areas of expertise when developing the final slate.

This approach aligns with AACR’s mission:

“To prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication, collaboration, science policy and advocacy, and funding for cancer research.”

With its comprehensive scope spanning basic discovery, translational science, clinical trials, and patient care the AACR seeks leaders who will continue its tradition of innovation and global impact in oncology.

Candidates For President-Elect

Images	Name
	Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD, FAACR Candidate for AACR President-Elect 2026-2027 Meyer Director, Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center Professor of Medicine Weill Cornell Medicine New York, New York
	Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, FAACR Candidate for AACR President-Elect 2026-2027 Director, Abramson Cancer Center John H. Glick, MD Abramson Cancer Center Director’s Professor Vice Dean, Cancer Programs, Perelman School of Medicine Vice President, Cancer Programs, University of Pennsylvania Health System University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Candidates For The AACR Board of Directors

Images	Name
	Yu Shyr, PhD, FAACR Candidate for AACR Board of Directors Chair, Department of Biostatistics Harold L. Moses Chair in Cancer Research Director, Vanderbilt Center for Quantitative Sciences (CQS) Director, Vanderbilt Technologies for Advanced Genomics Analysis and Research Design (VANGARD) Professor of Biostatistics, Biomedical Informatics, and Health Policy Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, Tennessee
	Ross L. Levine, MD Candidate for AACR Board of Directors Senior Vice President, Translational Research in Memorial Hospital Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, New York
	Sunil Verma, MD Candidate for AACR Board of Directors Senior Vice President, Global Head of Oncology Franchise AstraZeneca Gaithersburg, Maryland
	E. John Wherry III, PhD, FAACR Candidate for AACR Board of Directors Barbara and Richard Schiffrin President’s Distinguished Professor Chair, Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics Director, Institute for Immunology and Immune Health Director, Colton Center for Autoimmunity Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
	Jos Jonkers, PhD Candidate for AACR Board of Directors Group Leader, The Netherlands Cancer Institute Professor of Molecular Experimental Oncogenetics and Cancer Therapeutics, Leiden University Amsterdam, Netherlands
	Christopher I. Li, MD, PhD Candidate for AACR Board of Directors Vice President, Faculty Development Helen G. Edson Endowed Chair for Breast Cancer Research Professor, Translational Research Program and Epidemiology Program Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Associate Director for Faculty Development Fred Hutchinson/University of Washington Cancer/Seattle Children’s Consortium Seattle, Washington
	Christopher I. Li, MD, PhD Candidate for AACR Board of Directors Vice President, Faculty Development Helen G. Edson Endowed Chair for Breast Cancer Research Professor, Translational Research Program and Epidemiology Program Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Associate Director for Faculty Development Fred Hutchinson/University of Washington Cancer/Seattle Children’s Consortium Seattle, Washington
	Ashani T. Weeraratna, PhD Candidate for AACR Board of Directors Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Cancer Biology E.V. McCollum Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Associate Director for Laboratory Research Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Baltimore, Maryland

Candidates For The AACR Nominating Committee

Images	Name
	John D. Carpten, PhD, FAACR Candidate for AACR Nominating Committee Chief Scientific Officer, Irell and Manella Cancer Center Director’s Distinguished Chair, Morgan and Helen Chu Director’s Chair of the Beckman Research Institute Director of the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center Director, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope Duarte, California
	Dafna Bar-Sagi, PhD, FAACR Candidate for AACR Nominating Committee Executive Vice President and Vice Dean for Science, Chief Scientific Officer Saul J. Farber Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Professor, Department of Medicine NYU Langone Health New York, New York
	Lisa A. Newman, MD, MPH, FAACR Candidate for AACR Nominating Committee Weill Cornell Medicine New York, New York
	John L. Cleveland, PhD Candidate for AACR Nominating Committee Executive Vice President, Center Director, Moffitt Cancer Center Tampa, Florida
	Bin Tean Teh, MD, PhD Candidate for AACR Nominating Committee Deputy Chief Executive Officer, National Cancer Centre Singapore Director of SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Biodiversity Medicine Singapore
	Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD Candidate for AACR Nominating Committee Executive Director, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University Associate Vice President for Cancer, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Atlanta, Georgia
	Gordon B. Mills, MD, PhD, FAACR Candidate for AACR Nominating Committee Director of Precision Oncology, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Portland, Oregon
	Timothy J. Ley, MD Candidate for AACR Nominating Committee Lewis T. and Rosalind B. Apple Chair in Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine St. Louis, Missouri