In This Section

NextGen Stars

AACR Annual Meeting 2025 NextGen Stars Program

The AACR Annual NextGen Stars Program offered early-career scientists the opportunity to apply for a slot in the scientific program at the AACR Annual Meeting 2025. Applicants were selected for oral presentation in a Major Symposium or Advances session based on the merits of their submitted abstracts and additional application materials. NextGen Stars received and complimentary registration and travel assistance to support their attendance at the Annual Meeting.

Congratulations to the 2025 NextGen Stars!

Edmond Chan, MD

Edmond Chan, MD

Assistant Professor 
Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
Exploiting dysregulated ribosomal homeostasis in chromosome 9p21.3 deleted cancers and microsatellite unstable cancers

Yash Chhabra, PhD

Yash Chhabra, PhD

Assistant Professor
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Harnessing age-and sex-differential changes within the tumor microenvironment to inhibit metastasis and promote therapy responses in melanoma

Karen O. Dixon, PhD

Karen O. Dixon, PhD

Assistant Professor
University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Dark lipid kinase PI5P4K is a molecular checkpoint of anti-tumor immunity

Adam D. Durbin, MD, PhD

Adam D. Durbin, MD, PhD

Assistant Member
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee
A genome-derived non-coding reporter of dynamic cancer cell state permits dissection and control of intratumoral heterogeneity and chemoresistance

Anniina Farkkila, MD, PhD

Anniina Farkkila, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Single-cell mapping of tumor ecosystem reveals chemotherapy-induced myeloid-driven spatial exhaustion via NECTIN2-TIGIT ligand-receptor interaction which can be targeted to unleash anti-tumor immunity in ovarian cancer

Anand D. Jeyasekharan, MBBS, PhD

Anand D. Jeyasekharan, MBBS, PhD

Assistant Professor
National University of Singapore, Singapore
The spatial organization of lymphoma cells with MYC-BCL2 co-expression shapes the immune microenvironment and determines survival after chemoimmunotherapy

Zuzana Kečkéšová, PhD

Zuzana Kečkéšová, PhD

Junior Group Leader
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Prague, Czech Republic
Cancer-resistant tissues: Powerful approach for novel tumor suppressor identification and therapeutic reactivation

John R. Prensner, MD, PhD

John R. Prensner, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Mapping the functional microproteome in cancer

Elvin Wagenblast, PhD

Elvin Wagenblast, PhD

Assistant Professor
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
Developmental dependency and metabolic vulnerabilities in NUP98-rearranged pediatric leukemia

Stephanie Z. Xie, PhD

Stephanie Z. Xie, PhD

Assistant Scientist
University Health Network Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Inflammatory memory and selective advantage in human clonal hematopoiesis

Di Zhao, PhD

Di Zhao, PhD

Assistant Professor
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Decipher actionable tumor suppressor defects for personalized cancer medicine