More than 200 scientists from across the globe gathered in New York City in March 2026 for The Mark Foundation’s annual Scientific Symposium. The event, the Foundation’s largest to date, offered a forum for grantees to share transformative research, forge new collaborations, and strengthen a global network dedicated to accelerating the next generation of cancer breakthroughs.
The expanded program featured insights from a diverse cohort of Mark Foundation-funded investigators, covering frontier research such as spatial genomics in glioblastoma, the impact of the microbiome on immunotherapy, and the complex intersection of aging and cancer risk. A central highlight of the event was a keynote address by Nobel Laureate William Kaelin Jr., MD, of Harvard University and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who provided a masterclass on the fundamental biological mechanisms driving cancer progression.
“The depth of the science shared this week proves that we are entering a new era of cancer research innovation,” said Ross Levine, MD, Chief Scientific Officer at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and chair of The Mark Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Committee. “From reimagining druggability to decoding the autoantibody reactome, our grantees are not just identifying problems—they are engineering the solutions that will define clinical care for decades to come.”
The 2026 Symposium also marked a significant milestone for the Foundation’s community-building efforts. Before the start of the full symposium, past and current Emerging Leader Award recipients gathered for the inaugural ELA Summit, a dedicated session designed to foster collaboration. Building on this momentum, the Mark Foundation announced a major evolution of the ELA program during the Symposium: a boost in funding to $1 million per award and new global eligibility.
“Early-career scientists are the engine of oncology innovation, yet they face a funding landscape that is increasingly unpredictable,” said Ryan Schoenfeld, PhD, CEO of The Mark Foundation. “By doubling down on our support—increasing the award amount, extending the research runway, and expanding our search globally—we are ensuring that the brightest minds in cancer research have the freedom to follow their most ambitious ideas without borders or financial constraints.”