AACR CEO Dr. Margaret Foti Honored as 2024 Beacon Award Recipient for Leadership in Oncology

The AIM-HI Acceleration Fund announced today that Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), Executive Director of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), has been unanimously selected by the 2024 Blue Ribbon Selection Committee as the 2024 Beacon Award recipient for Women Leaders in Oncology, from a group of outstanding global nominees.

The Beacon Award for Women Leaders in Oncology was established in 2022 by the AIM-HI Accelerator Fund and sponsored by the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR). The Beacon Award recognizes outstanding women leaders in healthcare and life sciences who have made a significant impact on the treatment, detection, and diagnosis of cancer for patients worldwide.

Dr. Foti has served as AACR’s CEO for over 42 years. During that time, she has led the growth and transformation of AACR from a relatively small professional association to a leading international scientific organization focused on basic, translational, and clinical cancer research. AACR currently has over 59,000 members in 143 countries.

Throughout her career, Dr. Foti has been a powerful voice and advocate for women and underrepresented minority groups in science. As a result of her leadership, 45% of AACR members are women, 11% are from underrepresented minority groups, and 22% are from emerging economies.

In addition to expanding the AACR membership base to include a diverse base of scientific professionals, Dr. Foti has actively engaged with the public and private sectors to advance the science and medicine of cancer for the benefit of patients worldwide. One of the critical programs that Dr. Foti helped found is the AACR Scientist↔Survivor Program. Now in its 26th year, this unique program builds bridges and unity between leaders in the scientific and cancer survivor communities and patient advocates around the world through communication and collaboration.

Under Dr. Foti’s leadership, the AACR has significantly expanded its portfolio of high-impact journals from one to ten journals, which play a critical role in disseminating cutting-edge cancer research to the global scientific community. Dr. Foti’s leadership has also been instrumental in the publication of two landmark annual reports, the AACR Report on Cancer Progress and the AACR Progress Report on Cancer Disparities, that show how research continues to extend and improve lives and that underscore the critical need for increased federal funding to accelerate the pace of progress against cancer.

“As CEO and Co-Founder of the AIM-HI Accelerator Fund, CEO of the National Foundation for Cancer Research, I have the unique privilege of working alongside some of the most accomplished, innovative and respected leaders in cancer research and the oncology field. Dr. Foti embodies the attributes of effective leadership and everything we at AIM-HI and NFCR seek to recognize in a Beacon Award recipient. I have known Dr. Foti’s tireless work for many years and have great respect for the impact she has had on cancer research, science and patient care around the world.” said Dr. Sujuan Ba, Ph.D., President and CEO of the AIM-HI Acceleration Fund and the National Cancer Research Foundation and Co-Chair of the 2024 Beacon Prize Selection Committee.

“During her career at AACR, Dr. Foti has become one of the most influential leaders in cancer science and research. As a past president of AACR, I have seen firsthand that she is an innovator, a patient advocate, and a champion for underrepresented scientists. Dr. Foti tirelessly strives to advance the field, not only for AACR, but for the global cancer science and research community. No one deserves this award more than she does,” said Webster K. Cavenee, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of California, San Diego and co-chair of the 2024 Beacon Award selection committee.

“I am deeply honored to be named the 2024 Beacon Award recipient for Women Leaders in Oncology. This recognition is a testament to the tireless dedication and innovative work of our members and the entire AACR team, as well as our partners in the cancer research community. Together, we are committed to accelerating the pace of scientific discovery and translating these findings into effective treatments that improve the lives of patients around the world. This award inspires us to continue to push the boundaries of innovation and collaboration in our ongoing fight against cancer. I would like to thank the Beacon Award selection committee and express my sincere gratitude to the AIM-HI Accelerator Fund and the National Foundation for Cancer Research for this prestigious recognition and for their continued support of cancer research,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), CEO of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Dr. Foti will be honored as the 2024 AIM-HI Beacon Award recipient at a luncheon ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on October 18, 2024. The awards ceremony is part of the 2024 Global Summit and Awards Ceremonies for Cancer Research and Entrepreneurship, which brings together world-renowned leaders in cancer research and drug development, business leaders, investors, government officials, supporters and patient advocates.

2024 Beacon Award for Women Leaders in Oncology Selection Committee:

• Sujuan Ba, Ph.D., Co-Chair, CEO and Co-Founder of AIM-HI Acceleration Fund; President and CEO of the National Cancer Research Foundation
• Webster Cavenee, Ph.D., Co-Chair, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of California, San Diego
• Bahija Jallal, Ph.D., CEO and Board Director, Immunocore
• Raju Kucherlapati, Ph.D., Paul C. Cabot Professor of Genetics and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
• Patricia Obermaier, MBA, Chief Growth Officer, Global Health and Life Sciences, Microsoft
• Libia Scheller, Ph.D., MBA, Global Head of Oncology Cooperative Groups and Strategic Alliances, Bayer Health Care Pharmaceuticals
• Thea Tlsty, Ph.D., professor, department of pathology and director, Center for Translational Research in Molecular Cancer Genetics, UCSF

Previous recipients of the Beacon Award for Women Leaders in Oncology:

• Anna D. Barker, Ph.D., 2022 Fellow, Chief Strategy Officer, Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Complex Adaptive Systems, Arizona State University
• Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, 2023 recipient, director of the National Institutes of Health and former director of the National Cancer Institute.