ASCO 2025 Award Recipients

At the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, ASCO and Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, will honor researchers, patient advocates, philanthropists, educators, and global oncology leaders who have significantly impacted cancer care worldwide with the Society’s most prestigious awards.

The 2025 Special Award Recipients are:

Allen Lichter Visionary Leader Award

Karen E. Knudsen, PhD, MBA

Dr. Karen E. Knudsen is a leading oncology expert and healthcare executive. She recently concluded her role as CEO of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), where she led significant transformations to better meet the needs of cancer patients. Previously, Dr. Knudsen served as executive vice president of oncology services at Jefferson Health and director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson. A recognized pioneer in prostate cancer research, she has held leadership roles in both healthcare and biopharma, including past president of the Association of American Cancer Institutes. Dr. Knudsen has received numerous accolades, including recognition on Forbes’ “50 Over 50” Women of Impact list and as a CNBC “Changemaker.”

ASCO-American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Award

Susan M. Domchek, MD, FASCO

Dr. Susan M. Domchek is the Basser Professor in Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania and executive director of the Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer Center. She also directs the Mariann and Robert MacDonald Cancer Risk Evaluation Program. A medical oncologist, Dr. Domchek’s research focuses on enhancing the genetic evaluation and care of individuals with inherited cancer risks, particularly developing cancer interception strategies for those with genetic susceptibility. Her landmark work demonstrated the survival benefits of risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers and played a key role in the development of PARP inhibitors for BRCA-associated cancers. A Fellow of ASCO and member of the National Academy of Medicine, AAP, and ASCI, Dr. Domchek has authored over 450 articles in leading medical journals.

BJ Kennedy Award for Geriatric Oncology Endowed by Tony and Carrie Cheung

Heidi Klepin, MD, MS

Dr. Heidi Klepin is a recognized leader in geriatric oncology, with expertise as a geriatrician, oncologist, and hematologist. She is a professor at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and specializes in providing aging-focused oncology care for adults aged 75 and older. Dr. Klepin’s research explores the use of geriatric assessments and frailty measures to predict treatment outcomes and improve quality of life for older cancer patients. With over 180 publications and continuous research funding, she is also a co-lead for the national Cancer and Aging Research Group. Dr. Klepin has held key leadership roles, including chair of the ASCO Cancer Research Committee and member of the FDA Oncology Drug Advisory Committee. She is committed to mentoring the next generation of oncologists as associate director for Cancer Research Training at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center.

David Karnofsky Science of Oncology Award

Dawn L. Hershman, MD, MS, FASCO

Dr. Dawn L. Hershman is a medical oncologist and Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She serves as deputy director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and interim chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia. Specializing in breast cancer, Dr. Hershman is a leader in cancer care delivery, late effects of cancer therapy, and health outcomes research. She holds multiple leadership roles, including vice-chair of the SWOG Cancer Research Network. Dr. Hershman has received numerous accolades, including the ASCO Advanced Clinical Research Award in Breast Cancer and a Conquer Cancer Foundation Research Professorship. She is also a Komen Scholar and a dedicated mentor.

Excellence in Equity Award, Endowed by the American Cancer Society

Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO

Dr. Don S. Dizon is a professor of medicine and surgery at Brown University, specializing in ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers. He is the vice chair of diversity, equity, inclusion, and professional integrity at SWOG Cancer Research Network. Dr. Dizon is the editor-in-chief of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians and director of The Pelvic Malignancies Program at Brown University Health. He also serves as associate director of community outreach at the Legorreta Cancer Center. A leader in cancer care equity for sexual and gender minoritized communities, he is chair of the Hope Foundation for Cancer Research and on the board of the LGBTQ Cancer Network. Dr. Dizon is also a prominent figure in social media, advocating for oncology on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Gianni Bonadonna Breast Cancer Award

Ian E. Krop, MD, PhD

Dr. Ian E. Krop is the associate cancer center director for clinical research and chief clinical research officer at Yale Cancer Center. He is also a professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine and directs the center’s Clinical Trial Office. Dr. Krop is the chief scientific officer for the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC). He received his undergraduate, medical, and doctoral degrees from Johns Hopkins University and completed his residency and fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. A translational investigator, Dr. Krop focuses on developing novel therapies for breast cancer, particularly in HER2-positive disease. He has played a key role in the development of antibody-drug conjugates like trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) and trastuzumab deruxtecan.

Humanitarian Award

Barbara L. McAneny, MD, MACP, FASCO

Dr. Barbara L. McAneny is a board-certified medical oncologist/hematologist and the co-founder and CEO of New Mexico Oncology Hematology Consultants. She served as the 173rd president of the American Medical Association (AMA), using her position to successfully advocate for blocking large insurance consolidations and protecting Title 10 funding. A former member of the ASCO Board of Directors, Dr. McAneny has held leadership roles in multiple medical organizations, including the New Mexico Medical Society and the New Mexico Society of Clinical Oncology. In 2012, she received a $19.8 million award to create the COME HOME program, which helped lay the foundation for the Oncology Care Model. Dr. McAneny is also co-chair and a founder of the ONCare Alliance, a network dedicated to advancing collaborative oncology care and value-based payment models. She founded the New Mexico Cancer Center Foundation to support cancer patients in overcoming non-medical care barriers.

Jamie Von Roenn Excellence in Teaching and Mentorship Award

Christopher Flowers, MD, MS, FASCO

Dr. Christopher Flowers is chair of the Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma and division head for cancer medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Previously, he was a tenured professor of hematology and oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and director of the Lymphoma Program at Winship Cancer Institute. An internationally recognized expert in lymphoma, Dr. Flowers focuses on cancer outcomes, informatics, and the development of novel therapies for B-cell lymphomas through clinical trials. He is a passionate mentor, particularly for women and underrepresented minorities, and has led numerous grant initiatives with his mentees. Dr. Flowers also mentors early-career investigators through programs like the Lymphoma Research Foundation Scientific Research Mentoring Program and the ASH Clinical Research Training Institute.

Patient Advocate Award

Karen E. Jackson

Ms. Karen E. Jackson is a pioneering leader in the national Black breast cancer movement and founder/CEO of Sisters Network Inc. (SNI), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting Black women affected by breast cancer. A four-time breast cancer survivor, Ms. Jackson established SNI to address the lack of support for Black women in traditional cancer organizations and to combat the high mortality rate among Black women. Through education, empowerment, and advocacy for early detection, she has worked to improve survival rates. Her advocacy has earned her numerous awards, including the BET Her Fights: Breast Cancer TV Award and recognition on Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 List. Ms. Jackson is also a published author, contributing to works like Breast Cancer Black Women and My Mother’s Breast, Celebrating Life.

Pediatric Oncology Award

Melissa Hudson, MD, FASCO

Dr. Melissa Hudson is the director of the Cancer Survivorship Division in the Department of Oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Joining the faculty in 1989, she became director of the After Completion of Therapy (ACT) Clinic in 1993, where she pioneered focused educational interventions to help cancer survivors understand their health risks and adopt protective behaviors. Dr. Hudson has been a key figure in developing risk-based survivor care models, which she disseminated through her roles in the Children’s Oncology Group and the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group. She is the principal investigator of the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study and a member of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study Executive Committee.

Walther Cancer Foundation Supportive Oncology Award

Karen M. Mustian, PhD

Dr. Karen M. Mustian is a Dean’s Distinguished Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester, where she is also associate director of population science at Wilmot Cancer Institute. She co-directs and is principal investigator for the University of Rochester Cancer Center NCORP Research Base and is the founding director of the PEAK Human Performance Clinical Research Laboratory. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Mustian leads multicenter phase III clinical trials focused on exercise, integrative medicine, and behavioral interventions for cancer patients and survivors. She pioneered research demonstrating the benefits of tai chi for breast cancer survivors and yoga for insomnia and fatigue. Dr. Mustian also led a groundbreaking study showing that individualized home-based exercise is effective for treating cognitive impairment, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, and mood disorders in cancer survivors.