As EACR 2026 comes to a close, the European Association for Cancer Research marks an important leadership transition, welcoming Professor Johanna Joyce as its new President.
A leading cancer researcher, mentor, and advocate for the scientific community, Professor Joyce brings to the role a distinguished career shaped by major contributions to tumor microenvironment research, cancer biology, and international scientific leadership.
A New Chapter for EACR Leadership
Professor Johanna Joyce is a Full Professor at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and a Member of the international Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. She has served as President Elect of the European Association for Cancer Research, and now steps into the presidency at a time when cancer research is increasingly defined by collaboration, scientific depth, and translational impact.
Her appointment reflects a career dedicated not only to discovery, but also to building stronger bridges across the cancer research community. Through her work, Professor Joyce has helped shape how researchers understand the complex relationship between tumors and the surrounding cells that influence their behavior.
Looking Beyond the Cancer Cell
At the center of Professor Joyce’s scientific work is the tumor microenvironment — the biological setting in which cancer develops, grows, spreads, and responds to treatment.
The Joyce Lab investigates how non-cancerous immune and stromal cells influence tumor progression, metastasis, and therapeutic response. This approach looks beyond cancer cells alone and focuses on the broader ecosystem that allows tumors to evolve.
Her team has uncovered critical regulatory signals provided by normal tissue stroma and immune cells to cancer cells. Their research has also shown how cancer cells can modify these normal cells, prompting them to produce a wide range of factors that enhance tumor malignancy.
This work has contributed to a deeper understanding of how tumors interact with their surroundings, and why targeting the tumor microenvironment has become an essential area of modern cancer research.
Mapping the Immune Landscape of Brain Tumors
A major focus of Professor Joyce’s recent research has been the immune landscape of brain tumors.
Brain tumors present unique biological challenges, and the interaction between cancer cells, immune cells, and stromal components remains a critical area of investigation. The Joyce Lab has worked to deeply and comprehensively interrogate this immune environment, using the knowledge gained to develop novel strategies for therapeutically targeting the tumor microenvironment.
This research direction reflects one of the most important shifts in oncology: understanding cancer not as an isolated mass of malignant cells, but as a disease shaped by a dynamic and highly organized microenvironment.
A Career Recognized Across the Global Cancer Research Community
Professor Joyce’s contributions to cancer research have been recognized through a series of major awards and honors.
These include the EACR-Pezcoller Award for Women in Cancer Research, recognition among Cell Press’ “50 Scientists Who Inspire,” the Robert Bing Prize, the Cloetta Prize, the Metastasis Research Society Innovation Award, the Swiss Bridge Award, the American Cancer Society Scholar Award, the Rita Allen Foundation Award, the V Foundation Award, and the Sidney Kimmel Foundation Award, among others.
These distinctions highlight the impact of her research across cancer biology, metastasis, tumor immunology, and the tumor microenvironment.
Leadership Across Institutions, Societies, and Journals
Elected by her peers, Professor Joyce serves as a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation, a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy, and a Fellow of the European Association for Cancer Sciences.
Her leadership has extended across major scientific institutions and professional organizations. She previously served as Executive Director of the Agora Cancer Centre Lausanne, Chair of the AACR Tumor Microenvironment Working Group, and Member of the AACR Women in Cancer Research Council.
Professor Joyce currently serves on the scientific advisory board of The Mark Foundation, the EACR Board, and the EACR Executive Committee. She is also a member of the editorial boards of Cancer Cell, Cancer Discovery, and Trends in Cancer.
Through these roles, she has contributed not only to the advancement of cancer research, but also to the structures that support scientific exchange, publication, mentorship, and international collaboration.
A Mentor and Advocate for the Next Generation
Beyond her research and leadership positions, Professor Joyce is widely recognized as a committed mentor and advisor to young researchers.
Her advocacy, including her support for women in science, has become an important part of her broader contribution to the cancer research community. In a field where discovery depends on talent, collaboration, and opportunity, mentorship remains central to building the next generation of researchers.
Professor Joyce’s leadership brings together scientific excellence, community engagement, and a clear commitment to supporting researchers at different stages of their careers.
From EACR 2026 to the Future of Cancer Research
As EACR 2026 concludes, Professor Johanna Joyce begins her presidency with a career deeply rooted in discovery, mentorship, and service to the global cancer research community.
Her work has helped advance the understanding of the tumor microenvironment and its role in cancer progression, metastasis, and therapeutic response. Her leadership now opens a new chapter for EACR, strengthening its mission to connect cancer researchers, support innovation, and advance knowledge across basic, preclinical, and translational cancer research.
Follow Professor Johanna Joyce and the Joyce Lab on Bluesky for science updates and lab news:
https://bsky.app/profile/johannajoyce.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/joycelab.bsky.social
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Written by Nare Hovhannisyan, MD