Christina Yap, Professor of Clinical Trials Biostatistics at The Institute of Cancer Research, shared on LinkedIn:
“Heading home from Sydney feeling incredibly grateful for the opportunity to invest in the people who will help shape the future of oncology research, and for the privilege of being part of their journey.
I had the absolute pleasure of serving as faculty at ACORD 2026, and am so grateful to the Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA) and European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) for the invitation and support.
It was wonderful to meet so many brilliant early-career oncologists and faculty from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. And I have to admit, despite an incredibly intensive week, I really do love workshops like this.
There is something so rewarding about working with young, bright clinical researchers who bring such curiosity, energy and enthusiasm. What I love most is seeing them not only learn from what has been done before, but also question and challenge how we can design better trials – ultimately, to answer questions that matter more to people with cancer.
I’m sure the learnings, friendships and connections we take home will continue to grow into new networks, collaborations and opportunities long after this week has ended.
And to my wonderful Protocol Development Group 7: it was truly inspiring to see how much each of you developed, challenged and (re-)shaped your trial ideas into a full protocol in just one week. I honestly think I gained as much, if not more, from our discussions as you gained from learning statistics (yes, even Bayesian statistics!). I’m incredibly proud of each of you and can’t wait to see where your ideas and research take you next.
Huge thanks to my wonderful co-faculty, Linda Mileshkin, Haryana Dhillon and Peter Grimison, for mentoring the group together. It was such a pleasure, and a real joy, to serve alongside you!
And a very special thank you to Katrin Sjoquist and Jia Jenny Liu, and so many others behind the scenes for your leadership, thoughtful programme design and incredible organisation. You created such a rich and rewarding experience for the young investigators, and I believe, for the faculty too.
It was a real privilege to be part of ACORD 2026 – exhausted but incredibly grateful, inspired and encouraged!”
Other articles about ACORD 2026 on OncoDaily.
