Live Updates From the AACR Annual Meeting 2026: Wednesday, April 22
It is the final day of the AACR Annual Meeting 2026. But even though it is a half day, it is still full of science. Our coverage will include the Plenary Session on innovative treatment modalities, the Advances in Technologies session on agentic artificial intelligence (AI) as the oncologist, the Closing Plenary examining highlights from the meeting, and more.
If you missed our previous days’ live coverage of the meeting, catch up here:
Live Coverage
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6:05 a.m. – Global Scholar-in-Training Awardees Meet With AACR Leadership
In one of our previous live updates, we shared information about this year’s Global Scholar-in-Training Award (GSITA) recipients. Last night, these GSITA recipients got to meet with AACR President Keith T. Flaherty, MD, FAACR, along with AACR Immediate Past President Lillian L. Siu, MD, FAACR, former AACR President Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, PhD (hc), FAACR, and AACR CEO Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc).
“As a GSITA, it was a privilege to meet AACR leadership and share not only our discoveries, but also the setbacks that shape our work,” said Abdel-ilah Aziz, MSc, of UM6P Hospitals, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco. “That these experiences were met with such thoughtful attention made the dialogue especially meaningful. Our conversations on building programs to support research in our home countries felt both urgent and hopeful, an inspiring reminder that even our challenges can help spark pathways for lasting change.”
Saravanan Sampoornam Pape, MDS, of KIIT University in India, said, “What struck me most was how approachable everyone was about the future. I shared that expanding AACR’s regional training initiatives and creating more bidirectional exchange programs could help accelerate careers and build capacity in our region. I left even more motivated to contribute to AACR’s mission.”
“The event created a space where early-career researchers felt genuinely heard, and it was incredibly encouraging to see our ideas, perspectives, and concerns being welcomed and valued,” added María Mercedes Debernardi, PhD, of BIOMED-UCA-CONICET in Argentina. “Knowing that leaders at the forefront of cancer research are not only guiding the field but also actively listening to the next generation makes this experience especially meaningful. It reinforces a sense of belonging within the scientific community and motivates us to continue contributing with passion and purpose.”
