COI at AACR Annual Meeting 2026: Advancing Cancer Research Through Global Collaboration
The Centre for Oncology and Immunology (COI) was proud to participate in the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, held in San Diego, California. Recognized as one of the world's premier cancer research conferences, AACR brings together more than 20,000 researchers, clinicians, healthcare professionals, industry leaders, and patient advocates from across the globe to share the latest scientific discoveries and innovations shaping the future of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The meeting serves as an important platform for advancing cancer research and fostering collaborations that accelerate the translation of scientific breakthroughs into clinical impact.
For COI, AACR 2026 offered a valuable opportunity to connect with like-minded researchers and some of the brightest minds in oncology and immunology. The conference provided an environment for exchanging ideas, exploring emerging scientific trends, and strengthening relationships with leading academic and clinical institutions worldwide.
Representing COI at the meeting were our Chief Operating Officer and both Co-Directors, Professor Tak W. Mak and Professor Suet Yi Leung. We were also delighted to reconnect with colleagues and collaborators from the University Health Network (UHN), including Professor Lillian Siu, the President of AACR (2025 - 2026), and Professor Bradly Wouters, whose continued leadership and scientific contributions have been instrumental in advancing cancer research globally. These interactions further strengthened the longstanding collaboration between COI and UHN and opened new opportunities for future research partnerships.
Among the highlights of AACR 2026 was the participation of both COI Co-Directors as invited chairs of scientific sessions. Professor Tak W. Mak chaired "Neural-Immune Crosstalk in Cancer," and Professor Suet Yi Leung chaired "Advances in Upper GI Cancers: Gastric and Esophageal," contributing their expertise to discussions on important emerging developments in cancer research.
Additionally, COI’s collaborative research was showcased in a poster presentation (Abstract #1018) titled 'Longitudinal peripheral blood TCR tracking predicts response to immune checkpoint inhibitors.' The study featured contributions from COI's Postdoctoral Fellow Kaiyan Xu and Research Project Leader Prof. Aya El Helali, alongside lead author Dingyuan Wang and colleagues from the University of Hong Kong.
Participation in AACR 2026 reinforced COI's commitment to scientific excellence, global collaboration, and innovation in oncology and immunology. By engaging with leading experts, learning from the latest breakthroughs, and strengthening strategic partnerships, COI continues to advance its mission of driving impactful research that will ultimately improve outcomes for cancer patients worldwide.
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