PHILADELPHIA – Distinguished cancer researchers , , , and , from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine’s have been elected to the 2025 class of .
The AACR Academy recognizes and honors extraordinary scientists whose groundbreaking contributions have driven significant innovation and progress in the fight against cancer. Fellows of the AACR Academy constitute a global brain trust of leading experts in cancer science and medicine, working to advance the AACR’s mission to prevent and cure all cancers through research, education, collaboration, communication, advocacy, and funding for cancer research.
Garrett M. Brodeur, MD, pediatric cancer trailblazer
Brodeur serves as director of the Cancer Predisposition Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and is a professor of Pediatrics. He is recognized for invaluable contributions to neuroblastoma research, such as identifying MYCN amplification as a marker of high-risk disease; leading efforts to develop the first International Neuroblastoma Staging System and Risk Grouping that incorporates molecular markers and preclinical development of TRK inhibitors for pediatric solid tumors; organizing pioneering international workshops on pediatric cancer predisposition and surveillance; and developing a novel multivalent nanomedicine (PEEL-24) that is more effective and less toxic than its conventional counterpart, irinotecan.
Susan M. Domchek, MD, leader in BRCA research
Domchek is the Basser Professor in Oncology. At Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC), she serves as the executive director of the and the director of the . She is recognized for revered contributions to BRCA1/2 cancer susceptibility research, including demonstrating the impact of genetic testing on risk assessment, prevention, and targeted therapies, and for groundbreaking work in developing PARP inhibitors and risk-reducing strategies that have transformed clinical care and outcomes for mutation carriers.
Stephan A. Grupp, MD, PhD, pediatric CAR T cell therapy pioneer
Grupp is professor of Pediatrics and co-leader of the Pediatric Cancer Program at ACC. At CHOP he serves as chief of the Cellular Therapy and Transplant Section and director of the Kelly Center for Cancer Immunotherapy. He also holds the Yetta Deitch Novotny Endowed Chair in Pediatric Oncology. He is recognized for exemplary research efforts—alongside Penn Medicine colleagues—which led to the development of CAR T cell therapy in pediatric patients, thereby revolutionizing personalized cancer treatment and leading to the FDA approval of tisagenlecleucel for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the first CART cell and gene therapy approved for use in patients.
Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, immunotherapy and immunobiology innovator
Vonderheide is the John H. Glick, MD, Abramson Cancer Center Professor and serves as the director of the ACC. He is vice dean for Cancer Programs at the Perelman School of Medicine and vice president for Cancer Programs for the University of Pennsylvania Health System. He is recognized for groundbreaking research involving the integration of basic and clinical investigations to advance the establishment of novel cancer immunotherapies such as vaccines, antibody-based therapies, and adoptive T cell therapies, and for defining the immunobiology of tumor microenvironments through the use of genetically engineered mouse models.
This year, the AACR Academy elected 33 new Fellows, who will honored at the , taking place April 25-30 in Chicago.
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service. The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school.
The Perelman School of Medicine is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $580 million awarded in the 2023 fiscal year. Home to a proud history of “firsts,” Penn Medicine teams have pioneered discoveries that have shaped modern medicine, including CAR T cell therapy for cancer and the Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System cares for patients in facilities and their homes stretching from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to the New Jersey shore. UPHS facilities include the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Health, Princeton Health, and Pennsylvania Hospital—the nation’s first hospital, chartered in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Penn Medicine at Home, GSPP Rehabilitation, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is an $11.9 billion enterprise powered by nearly 49,000 talented faculty and staff.
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