About ASGCR
The U.S. National Cancer Institute Center for Global Health, in partnership with steering committee organizations, will host the 14th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research, themed from Local Discovery to Global Impact. The theme emphasizes advancing innovative, locally grounded research and translating those discoveries into global improvements in cancer control.
The theme highlights a commitment to fostering innovative research grounded in local expertise and context and translating these discoveries into worldwide improvements in cancer control. The symposium will showcase collaborative research initiatives that bring together interdisciplinary teams of clinicians, researchers, public health experts, advocates, policymakers, people with lived experience, and community organizations to create generalizable evidence that can inform cancer control strategies worldwide.
The agenda will feature poster and oral presentations alongside dynamic scientific sessions selected through our open call for abstracts and session proposals. The meeting will culminate in a keynote address delivered by the 2026 Pearline Awardee, highlighting leadership and impact in global cancer research and control.
We are currently accepting submissions through May 15, 2026. See below for details.
Why Should I Attend?
Present
Share your research or implementation program with a global audience.
Learn
Discover initiatives that are reducing the burden of cancer in low-resource settings.
Network
Connect with the global oncology research community to exchange ideas and identify potential areas for collaboration.
Call for Proposals
The organizers invite submissions of scientific abstracts and session proposals from all persons wishing to present on topics related to global cancer research and control. Areas of interest include research, research training, and program implementation and evaluation, with a focus primarily on low-resource settings. The deadline to submit proposals has been extended to May 15, 2026.
Abstracts
Accepted abstracts will be selected for presentation as one of two formats: 1) oral presentation or 2) ePoster. The titles and authors of all accepted abstracts will be available for viewing on the event page. Accepted abstracts presented at ASGCR will be published in a special supplement of ASCO’s JCO Global Oncology. Oral abstract presentations will be recorded and posted on the event page.
Presentation Format
- Oral presentation: 8-minute, live presentation, followed by questions and answers (time permitting) from the audience during one of the plenary oral abstract sessions.
- ePoster: Virtual e-poster available to view on the Symposium’s event page throughout and following the conference. Presenters will also be able to connect with attendees during dedicated, live, interactive poster sessions during the Symposium.
Guidelines for Submissions of Abstracts
- Submission Content. Each abstract must contain sections with the following headings: Purpose, Methods, Results, Conclusion.
- Length of Abstract. Abstracts must be 350 words or less, written in English and should not contain figures or tables. In-text citations are not required.
- Responsibility of Submitting Author. By submitting your abstract, you agree to be the primary contact responsible for all communications and coordination on behalf of all authors. The submitting author accepts responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.
- Presenting Author. Abstracts must have one presenter listed who will be responsible for participating in the corresponding session.
- Authorship Requirements. Abstracts that highlight research or programs conducted in a low- or middle-income country (LMIC) must include at least one author affiliated with an institution in that same LMIC. This requirement aligns with policies adopted by many journals and reflects ASGCR's commitment to supporting and highlighting researchers from the countries where the work is conducted, particularly LMICs, where the majority of new cancer cases are projected to occur over the next two decades. When selecting oral presentations, extra consideration will be given to submissions with a presenting author affiliated with an LMIC institution.
Publication Requirements. Unless otherwise stated by the submitting author, all abstracts will be published in ASCO’s JCO Global Oncology following the Symposium. Every accepted abstract considered for publication must have a corresponding presentation at the Symposium. If the designated presenter is unable to participate in the session, a different coauthor may be appointed to present on their behalf. Abstracts are accepted for publication on condition that they have not been published or accepted for publication elsewhere.
Submission Deadline. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. U.S. ET, May 15, 2026. Abstracts submitted after the deadline will not be considered. No changes may be made to abstracts or the author list after the deadline.
Sessions
Scientific sessions will provide an opportunity to convene speakers to address a current topic in global cancer research and control that aligns with the theme, engages the audience, and seeks to highlight concrete ways to advance the field. Submitters of accepted sessions will be responsible for developing the 60-minute session with the support of the Scientific Steering Committee. These sessions will take place live and will be recorded and posted on the event page.
Guidelines for Submissions of Sessions
- Submission Content. Each submission must contain the following:
- Title (250 characters). Provide a succinct title that clearly summarizes your proposal or illustrates what attendees will take away from your session.
- Description (350 words). Provide a clear and succinct summary of your proposed session as it will appear on the Symposium agenda. Do not use speaker names or the titles of their presentations in the description.
- Aims. Provide up to three sentences describing the aim of your proposed session (what do you hope the audience will take away), a justification for why this is a priority topic of global interest, and how the session aligns with the Symposium theme: From Local Discovery to Global Impact.
- Timing. All session proposals should be 60 minutes, inclusive of discussion/question and answer time.
- Person roles. Sessions must include one organizer and up to four speakers (including moderator), with at least one speaker affiliated with an institution in an LMIC. Any proposed changes to the session after acceptance must be communicated with the Steering Committee in a timely manner. Please ensure your moderator and speakers are available to participate at any time between 9AM – 12PM US ET on Tuesday, September 15 through Thursday, September 17, 2026.
All abstract and session proposals must be submitted online by May 15, 2026, 11:59pm ET.
Rachel Pearline Award
The Rachel Pearline Award honors Rachel Pearline, MD, MPH. Dr. Pearline was a revered oncology fellow who received the award named in her memory in 2016 following her death at the age of 38, in November 2015, from gastric cancer. While in medical school, she completed rotations in South Africa, Haiti, Romania, and rural China where she learned to speak Mandarin fluently. For her work, she received a prestigious Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellowship and Tulane University’s award for “Outstanding International Relationships.” Dr. Pearline was virtuously committed to global cancer control and provided quality care to her patients. She viewed the practice of medicine as a privilege, always striving to serve her patients better.
In honor of Dr. Rachel Pearline, the 14th Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research Steering Committee would like to invite nominations for the 2026 Annual Rachel Pearline Award. As part of the Symposium each year, we recognize one outstanding professional who embodies virtue and eminence in cancer research, practice, and/or training in a low- and middle-income country (LMIC) setting. The theme of the 2026 Symposium is "From Local Discovery to Global Impact” and the Steering Committee invites nominations of individuals, at any stage in their career, who have made major contributions to global cancer research, practice, and training. The nominee should be affiliated with an institution from a LMIC and their work should focus on cancer research, practice, and/or training in an LMIC setting.
The nominee will be recognized on the last day of the virtual Annual Symposium on Global Cancer Research on September 17, 2026. The nominee will be expected to take part in the award presentation ceremony as well as to give a keynote address that highlights their contributions to cancer research, practice, and/or training in an LMIC setting, and their future perspectives.
Previous Rachel Pearline Award Winners
2025 Asem H. Mansour, MD, Chief Executive Officer and Director General of the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), Amman, Jordan
2024 Benda Kithaka, Founder and Executive Director, KILELE Health, Nairobi, Kenya
2023 Yin Ling Woo, MA, MRCOG, PhD, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya, Malaysia
2022 C. S. Pramesh, MD, Director, Tata Memorial Hospital, Professor and Head of Thoracic Surgery, Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India
2021 Karla Alfaro, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Basic Health International, San Salvador, El Salvador
2020 Frederick Chite Asirwa, MD, Consultant Physician, Medical Oncologist & Hematologist, CEO, International Cancer Institute (ICI), Eldoret, Kenya
2018 You-lin Qiao, MD, PhD, professor and Director for Department of Cancer Epidemiology, Cancer Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College Beijing, China.
2017 Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, Executive Vice President and Chair of the Department of Global Pediatric Medicine and Director of the International Outreach Program
2016 Rachel Pearline, MD, MPH, Diplomate of Medical Oncology
All award nominees must be submitted online by May 8, 2026, 11:59pm ET.
Scientific Steering Committee
Frédéric Biemar, Ph.D.
Vice President, Education, American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Eduardo Cazap, M.D., Ph.D., FASCO
Founder and First President, Sociedad Latino Americana y del Caribe De Oncología Médica; Editor-in-Chief, ecancer; Co-chair, RINC-SLACOM, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Laura Esfeller, M.A.
Patient Advisory Board member, KCCure; Patient Advocate, SWOG Cancer Research Group, San Bernardino, CA, USA
Edith Grynszpancholc
President, Fundación Natalí Dafne Flexer, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Benda Kithaka
Founder and Executive Director, KILELE Health, Nairobi, Kenya
Racquel Kelly Kohler, Ph.D., M.S.P.H.
Chair, Global Cancer Research Special Interest Group, American Society of Preventive Oncology; Assistant Professor, Department of Health, Behavior, Society and Policy, Rutgers School of Public Health, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Tendai Kwaramba, M.D., M.Sc.
Representative, Academic Global Oncology Task Force, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO); Assistant Professor of Medicine, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC, USA
Keith Martin, M.D., PC
Executive Director, Consortium of Universities for Global Health, Washington, DC, USA
C S Pramesh, M.S., FRCS
Convener, National Cancer Grid of India; Director, Tata Memorial Hospital; Professor, Thoracic Surgery (Surgical Oncology), Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India
Belmira Rodrigues
Managing Director, African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer, Cape Town, South Africa
Rakiya Saidu, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Chair, Research Committee, African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer; Senior Clinical Research Officer, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Viji Venkatesh, B.A.
Region Head (India & South Asia), The Max Foundation; Managing Trustee - Friends of Max; Trustee, Being Human The Salman Khan Foundation, Mumbai, India
Mishka Kohli Cira, M.P.H.
Public Health Advisor, Center for Global Health, US National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
Kalina Duncan, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.
Branch Director, Partnerships and Dissemination, Center for Global Health, US National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
Linsey Eldridge, M.P.H.
Public Health Analyst, Center for Global Health, US National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
Nina Ghanem, M.Ed.
Lead of Strategic Dissemination and Engagement, Center for Global Health, US National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
Paul Pearlman, Ph.D.
Program Director, Center for Global Health, US National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
Sudha Sivaram, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.
Program Director, Center for Global Health, US National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA
Disclaimer
The ASGCR Scientific Steering Committee is comprised of internal and external members, working across a variety of research and clinical settings around the world, and with a wide range of subject matter expertise. External Steering Committee members participate in the process of reviewing proposed content for scientific and abstract sessions. External Steering Committee members are independent from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and do not function as formal NCI members.
Final presentation selection is based on the information provided at the time of abstract submission. The views, opinions, and conclusions expressed by presenters at ASGCR are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or the United States government (USG). Inclusion of a commercial product or organization does not imply endorsement by the NCI, NIH, HHIS or USG.
