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

These awards recognize first authors on top-ranking abstracts selected for presentation at the ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, January 8-10, 2026, in San Francisco, Calif.   

These 33 oncology professionals are recognized for their respective field and research advancements within the cancer care community:  

Oluseyi Abidoye, MD, MBBS, Mayo Clinic Arizona 

Jordan Appleyard, BSc, MBBS, MSc, MRCP, Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St. James's, University of Leeds 

Yajur Arya, MD, Mayo Clinic Florida 

Michela Bartolini, MD, University of Southern California 

Michael Cerniglia, MD, University of Southern California 

Zoe Finer, MD, Vanderbilt University  

Catia Gaspar, MD, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network 

Valerie Gunchick, MS, Vanderbilt University 

Ashwin Gupta, Vanderbilt University  

Belinda Jiao, MD, McGill University 

Doga Kahramangil, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center  

Denice Kamp, MD, University Medical Center Utrecht 

Bridget Kiely, MD, Baylor College of Medicine 

Jerry Kong, BS, NYU Grossman School of Medicine 

Xuanyi Li, MD, Yale Cancer Center 

Louisa Liu, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 

Anupa Mandava, MBBS, SUNY Upstate Medical University 

Ronan McLaughlin, MRCPATH, MBBCh, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, University of Toronto 

Arshad Mohammed, BA, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine 

Chirayu Mohindroo, MD, MBBS, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health 

Chiugo Okoye, Northeast Georgia Medical Center 

Mosunmoluwa Oyenuga, MD, MPH, Emory University 

Muhammet Ozer, MD, UT Southwestern Medical Center 

Deevyashali Parekh, MBBS, SUNY Upstate Medical University 

Angel Phillip, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine 

Angelo Pirozzi, MD, Mayo Clinic Arizona 

Fen Saj, MD, DM, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 

Thomas Sutton, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 

Ameera Syed, BS, Drexel University College of Medicine 

Lizzel van der Snee, Netherlands Cancer Institute 

Guglielmo Vetere, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 

Lawrence Wu, MD, Columbia University Irving Medical Center 

George Zhang, MD, MPH, Brigham and Women's Hospital 

Conquer Cancer donors help support these awards along with many other resources and programs for oncology professionals, patients, and the cancer community. Learn more.  

Supporters:  

The 2026 Conquer Cancer Merit Awards are generously supported by Terri Armstrong, Chris Armstrong, and Mark Gilbert; ASCO Employees; 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; 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; 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. 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 December 10, 2025.