Training Tomorrow’s Leaders in Cancer Immunology
The transition from trainee to independent investigator is one of the most challenging and formative phases of a scientific career. It requires not only scientific expertise but also the skills to lead, mentor, manage, and communicate effectively. The Arthur and Sandra Irving Cancer Immunology Symposium serves as a platform for established investigators to mentor trainees and early-career faculty as they navigate this transition to independence. Through sharing personal experiences and lessons from their own careers, senior leaders provide guidance on the scientific, professional, and personal challenges that shape a successful career in cancer immunology-emphasizing how curiosity, persistence, and a translational mindset can make a lasting real-world impact. This commentary highlights key themes, including leadership, communication, recruitment, and fundraising. Altogether, these insightful thoughts provide a framework for the next generation of cancer immunologists as they establish their independent careers as future leaders in the field.
Authors
- Rebecca B. Delconte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3066-4014)
- Hongyan Xie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0153-9986)
- Samarth Hegde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6319-0372)
- Jyh Liang Hor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6721-4204)
- N Hacohen
- Yapeng Su (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6305-8467)
- Pablo Domizi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2903-0337)
- Allison M. Weis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9991-1661)
- Joon Seok Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4001-6886)
- Alex C.Y. Chen
- Yuqi Tan
- Michael Papanicolaou
- Roberto Vendramin
- Goran Micevic
- Elisa Bergaggio
- Nour Shobaki
- Adriana M. Mujal
- SeongJun Han
- B.J. Kim
Institutions
- Boston Children's Hospital (US)
- Boston Biomedical Research Institute (US)
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US)
- University of Utah (US)
- Cancer Research UK (GB)
- Yale University (US)
- University of Illinois Chicago (US)
- University of Chicago (US)
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (IN)
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center (US)
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (US)
- Stanford Medicine (US)
- Center for Cancer Research (US)
- University College London (GB)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Stanford University (US)
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cancer Immunology Research
- Published
- 2026-01-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1158/2326-6066.cir-25-1479
- Primary Topic
- Ideological and Political Education
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00