The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is proud to announce the 2026 class of Lloyd J. Old STARs – Scientists TAking Risks. These five scientific leaders are poised to reshape cancer immunotherapy through bold, paradigm-shifting research. Each awardee receives $1.25 million in flexible funding over five years, empowering them to pursue high-risk, high-reward projects that could revolutionize cancer care.
Rooted in CRI’s exceptional track record of identifying and supporting people who have had a major impact in immunotherapy, these grants are not tied to a specific research project, but rather support outstanding researchers based on the quality and promise of their overall work.
“These are people who are hitting their stride scientifically and career-wise, and this is where you really want to put some jet fuel in the tank,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, Associate Director of CRI’s Scientific Advisory Council.
Elizabeth Jaffee, MD, also an Associate Director, emphasized, “We’re picking people who are really our next leaders in the field of immunotherapy.”
Meet the 2026 Class of Lloyd J. Old STARs — five bold scientists pushing the boundaries of immunotherapy and reimagining what’s possible in the fight against cancer. Discover how their fearless ideas are reshaping the future of treatment.
Meet the 2026 Lloyd J. Old STARs
- Julie Deutsch, MD | Johns Hopkins University
An integrated tissue framework for assessing pan-tumor immunotherapy response to support personalized cancer care
- Justin Eyquem, PhD | University of California, San Francisco
In vivo engineering and programmable signaling to enhance T cell-based cancer therapy
- Jennifer Guerriero, PhD | Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Turning the innate immune system against itself: CAR-monocytes targeting tumor macrophages
- Mohammad Rashidian, PhD | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Discovery of a signaling hub that unlocks durable, exhaustion-resistant anti-tumor T-cell immunity - Aaron Whiteley, PhD | University of Colorado Boulder
Impact of cryptic enzymes from the microbiome on cancer immunotherapy
