Dr. Brian Wolpin and Dr. Mark Dickson both received early-career funding from Conquer Cancer. On May 31, 2026, they will stand on the ASCO Plenary Stage – the most prestigious platform in oncology – to present major Phase 3 clinical trial data. They will present on different diseases, on the same day. This dual appearance is not a coincidence. It is what early-career investment looks like over time.  

The notifications a researcher never forgets are the ones telling them they got the grant.

For Dr. Brian Wolpin and Dr. Mark Dickson, one of those career-altering notifications came from Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation.

Years ago, each submitted a promising scientific proposal. Following a rigorous peer-review process, the selection committee approved to fund them, recognizing the high-potential of their out-of-the-box thinking.

On May 31, 2026, both researchers will share their findings on the ASCO Annual Meeting Plenary Stage. Dr. Wolpin will present critical data in pancreatic cancer, while Dr. Dickson will present major data in sarcoma.

The same stage. The same day. Two distinct career paths addressing two entirely different diseases. Two researchers supported by Conquer Cancer at the very beginning.

What “Early” Means

In cancer research, "early-career" is a technical term with high-stakes realities. It marks the critical window after a researcher completes training and begins establishing independence and securing grants.

Developing into an independent researcher requires more than raw talent. It demands funding, mentorship, protected time, and institutional support to pursue complex questions that require years of study.

This is also the period when the oncology field loses the most talent. Without dedicated funding at this turning point, brilliant minds face tough choices. They must either accept heavy clinical loads that leave no room for research, leave academia entirely, or narrow their focus to scientific questions that are simply easier to fund rather than more important to solve.

Conquer Cancer’s grants and awards program answers this systemic need:

• The Young Investigator Award: Provides a one year $50,000 grant to recognize early scientific promise.
• The Career Development Award: Supports early-career faculty with a $200,000 grant to deepen their research.

Beyond filling a financial gap, these awards provide researchers validation of the significance and rigor of their work and build academic credibility.

The Pattern of Predictable Science

Dr. Dickson’s trajectory illustrates exactly how this peer-review model operates. A medical oncologist dedicated to sarcoma research, Dr. Dickson received consecutive funding: a Young Investigator Award in 2009 and a Career Development Award in 2011.

This sequential support is not routine. It reflects a rigorous process that evaluates evolving scientific proposals at distinct operational stages.

When the review committee evaluated Dr. Dickson’s subsequent proposal in 2011, they recognized a research concept that built seamlessly upon his initial work. His submission demonstrated that his scientific thinking had deepened, confirming that his sequential concepts merited continued investment. Remarkably, that 2011 award was granted to support his proposal for the very first Phase 2 clinical trial of a CDK4 inhibitor in liposarcoma. To see that early scientific concept mature over 15 years into a Phase 3 trial featured on the global Plenary Stage is the ultimate proof of how early-career funding from Conquer Cancer can create a lasting legacy.

By funding his high-potential proposals at two consecutive, pivotal career stages, Conquer Cancer provided the runway necessary to build a game-changing program.

Two Cancers, One Stage

Scientifically, pancreatic cancer and sarcoma have very little in common. They develop differently, behave differently, and require distinct treatment pathways. However, both represent historically underserved, incredibly complex disease landscapes. Pancreatic cancer remains difficult to detect early and resists many existing therapies. Sarcoma, as a rare disease, often lacks the commercial incentives that drive larger funding streams.

The Conquer Cancer selection committee does not steer clear of these challenges. Instead, it reviews and recommends high-potential proposals across the entire continuum of cancer care. Conquer Cancer supported the scientific vision of Dr. Wolpin and Dr. Dickson early in their journeys, long before final data existed to prove their potential to a wider funding audience.

The clinical breakthroughs ahead at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting belong entirely to these researchers, their dedicated teams, and years of rigorous investigation. Conquer Cancer takes no credit for their specific clinical findings.

What Conquer Cancer does take pride in is its ability to recognize the exceptional potential of these researchers early. We validated their scientific vision and ensured they had the opportunity to cultivate the research programs that led to this historic milestone.

What Comes Next

Somewhere right now, an exceptional researcher standing at this exact early-career crossroads is mapping out their first grant application to Conquer Cancer.

Conquer Cancer cannot predict the precise discoveries they will achieve. That's the nature of early investment. You back potential, not certainty. But the foundation does know with certainty that if we stop backing these proposals, the world will never find out what they could discover.