The ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) announces Valsamo (Elsa) Anagnostou, MD, PhD, Jordan D. Berlin, MD, and Olisaemeka Ogbue, MBBS, as the recipients of the organization’s annual scientific awards. Since 1992, the group has formally recognized investigators for outstanding scientific and administrative achievements early in their careers, both within ECOG-ACRIN and the broader scientific community. The Mentoring Program expanded in 2023 with the addition of the Remarkable Mentor in Oncology Award, an initiative of ECOG-ACRIN’s Task Force on Career Advancement .
Young Investigator of the Year
Valsamo (Elsa) Anagnostou, MD, PhD, is the 2026 Young Investigator Award recipient for her significant contributions to translational research on lung cancer. She is the Alex Grass Professor of Oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. She is co-director of the Upper Aerodigestive Malignancies Program and director of the Thoracic Oncology Biorepository at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she also leads Precision Oncology Analytics, and co-leads the Molecular Tumor Board and the Thoracic Oncology Precision Medicine Center of Excellence.
Additionally, she is the principal investigator of the Anagnostou Lab at Johns Hopkins. This lab explores the genomic landscape of response and resistance to cancer therapies, with a focus on immunotherapies.
Dr. Anagnostou is a pioneer in applying circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to monitor responses to immunotherapy. Her notable work includes BR.36, the first ctDNA-driven clinical trial in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, for which she serves as international study chair. She is a key leader in thoracic cancer research and data science initiatives at ECOG-ACRIN and PrECOG, LLC . Her early contributions have established her as a world-renowned figure in her field. Click to read ECOG-ACRIN’s tribute to Dr. Anagnostou .
Remarkable Mentor in Oncology Award
Jordan D. Berlin, MD, is the 2026 recipient of the Remarkable Mentor in Oncology Award , in recognition of his sustained commitment to developing the next generation of cancer researchers. He is a professor of medicine and director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, and the associate director of clinical research at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, where he specializes in gastrointestinal cancers and early-phase clinical trials.
Dr. Berlin has played a pivotal role in mentoring many junior investigators and early-career faculty throughout his own career. While at Vanderbilt and previously at the University of Wisconsin, he has generously provided personalized guidance to many individuals, helping them navigate the often-complex landscape of academic research. As chair of the ECOG-ACRIN Gastrointestinal Cancer Committee, he intentionally creates leadership opportunities for junior investigators and fosters a culture in which senior researchers actively mentor and promote emerging leaders. His ongoing efforts are instrumental in strengthening the future workforce in cancer research. Click to read ECOG-ACRIN’s tribute to Dr. Berlin.
Paul Carbone, MD Fellowship Award
Olisaemeka Ogbue, MBBS, is the recipient of the 2026 Paul Carbone, MD Fellowship Award . This one-time research grant aims to develop and promote excellence in clinical trials leading to improvements in cancer care.
Dr. Ogbue is a clinical fellow in hematology and medical oncology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. His research project is titled Therapy-Related Somatic Mosaicism and Epigenetic Aging for Predictive Modeling of Late Adverse Outcomes in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors .
The ECOG Research & Education Foundation funds these awards.
About ECOG-ACRIN
The ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group is one of the world’s leading scientific organizations, known for innovative multicenter clinical trials involving adults with cancer or at risk of developing it. Trials such as TAILORx, TMIST, NCI-MATCH, ComboMATCH, and many others integrate state-of-the-art genomic approaches to improve cancer care. Its expansive membership includes over 1,400 hospitals and cancer centers across the United States and worldwide, and nearly 21,000 researchers and advocates. Its research is funded primarily by the National Cancer Institute, one of the United States’ National Institutes of Health. To learn more, visit www.ecog-acrin.org , follow us on X @EAonc , Facebook , LinkedIn , YouTube , and Instagram , or call 215-789-3631.