ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Conquer Cancer^®, the ASCO Foundation, is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting Merit Awards.  

Annual Meeting Merit Awards support students and trainees who are first authors on abstracts selected for presentation at the ASCO Annual Meeting. This year, Conquer Cancer will recognize 141 recipients with Merit Awards. These recipients are recognized for their respective field and research advancements within the cancer care community.  

The 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting Merit Award Recipients:   
View full recipient list.

Special Merit Awards are presented each year to students, trainees, and junior faculty who have the top-ranking abstracts for the ASCO Annual Meeting. The ASCO Scientific Program Committee presents five recipients with Special Merit Awards in their respective abstract categories.    

The 2026 Special Merit Award recipients are:   

Jowan Al-Nusair, MD, Marshall University 
Bradley Stuart Beller Endowed Merit Award, Supported by Friends and Family of Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Beller  

Hu Liang, MD, PhD, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer 
Allen S. Lichter, MD, Endowed Merit Award 

Rachel Hurley, MD, PhD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 
Brigid Leventhal Special Merit Award 

Yuri Choi, PhD, RN, University of Rochester Medical Center 
Pain and Symptom Management Special Merit Award 

Jordane Chaix, MD, CHU Bordeaux 
James B. Nachman Endowed ASCO Junior Faculty Award, Supported by Friends and Family of Dr. James B. Nachman  

Supporters :

The 2026 Conquer Cancer Merit Awards are generously supported by: Terri Armstrong, Chris Armstrong, and Mark Gilbert; ASCO Employees; Association of Northern California Oncologists; AstraZeneca; Friends and Family of Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Beller; Dr. and Mrs. Douglas W. Blayney; Breast Cancer Research Foundation®; Bristol Myers Squibb; Vince D. Cataldo, MD; Jonathan K. and Cora Y. Cho Charitable Fund; Friends, Family, and Colleagues of Dr. Cecil "Pete" Coggins; Michael Craig Cox, PharmD, MHS, BCOP; Trailblazing patient Mark A. Crafts and Generous Supporters of Team Crafty; Gina D'Amato, MD; Bill and Karen Dahut; Allison Dray; Eisai Inc.; Estate of Darla C. Ellis; Epiphany Partners, Inc.; Flatiron Health, Inc.; GSK; Harborside; Friends, Colleagues, and Family of Joe Hogan; John Hohneker, MD and Donald Vincent; Melissa M. Hudson, MD, FASCO and Albert E. Weeks, MD; Kimberly Irvine; Drs. Kevin Kalinsky and Christopher Keir; Family of Diane L. Keith; Drs. Karen Knudsen and Brian Costello; Nicole M. Kuderer, MD and Gary H. Lyman, MD, MPH, FASCO; Natasha B. Leighl, MD, FASCO; William T. Leslie, MD; Lilly; Bora Lim, MD and Pavlos Msaouel, MD, PhD; Loxo Oncology Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company; Maryland/District of Columbia Society of Clinical Oncology; Friends and Colleagues of Theresa Mays; Melanoma Research Foundation; Estate of Mike Miller; Therese Marie Mulvey, MD, FASCO; Friends and Family of Dr. James B. Nachman; New Rhein Healthcare, LLC; Friends and Colleagues of Dr. Larry Norton; Dr. Kurt R. Oettel; Dr. Kathleen Pritchard Medicine Professional Corporation; The QuadW Foundation; Gabrielle Betty Rocque, MD, MSPH; Sarah Cannon Research Institute; Frances A. Shepherd, MD, FASCO; Stephen A. Sherwin, MD; Drs. Rachna and Puneet Shroff; Dr. Walter and Mrs. Lisa Stadler; ASCO’s State Affiliate Council; Stemline, Inc, a Menarini Group Company; Supporters of Innovations and Research in Medical Education; Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Nizar M. Tannir, MD; Anthony and Marilyn Tolcher; Dr. Michael and Deborah Troner; and William S. Yaus, Jeffrey W. Yaus, and Kathleen Y. Wolin, ScD.  

This listing is current as of April 15, 2026.