CHICAGO, June 1, 2026 – Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation, presented the 2026 Young Investigator Awards (YIAs) funded by Vaniam Group™ and Women Leaders in Oncology® (WLO) at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. The awards recognize early-career physician-scientists whose research is helping move oncology forward, from deeper biological understanding to more precise, personalized approaches to care.
- Nia Beckley, MD, MEng, of the University of California, San Francisco, is the recipient of the Conquer Cancer–Vaniam Group LLC Young Investigator Award. Her work focuses on spatial profiling of immune evolution, offering new insight into how tumors adapt over time and how immunotherapies may be applied more effectively.
- Jordyn Silverstein, MD, MS, of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles, is the recipient of the Conquer Cancer–Women Leaders in Oncology Endowed Young Investigator Award. Her research explores circulating tumor cells as a noninvasive method to guide treatment selection and expand access to targeted therapies in ovarian cancer.
“Dr. Beckley and Dr. Silverstein are advancing a more precise and connected future for oncology, one where we can better understand disease evolution and intervene earlier, more effectively, and more personally,” said Deanna B. van Gestel, FASCO, Founder and CEO of Vaniam Group and Board Member of Conquer Cancer®, the ASCO Foundation. “Their work reflects where cancer research is heading, at the intersection of technology, biology, and clinical insight.”
In conjunction with the award presentations, Women Leaders in Oncology will host its annual event on the evening of June 1 during the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, convening oncology leaders, researchers, physicians, and allies for an evening of panel discussion, community engagement, and fundraising in support of the WLO endowment.
University of California, San Francisco
University of California, Los Angeles
Conquer Cancer-Vaniam Group LLC Young Investigator Award
Dr. Beckley’s research focuses on how the immune system evolves within tumors over time, particularly in hepatocellular carcinoma. Using advanced spatial profiling and transcriptomic technologies, her work maps how immune cells interact within tumors and how those interactions change as cancer recurs.
By identifying immune signatures associated with treatment response, this research addresses a central challenge in oncology: understanding why therapies succeed for some patients and not others. The goal is to support more precise treatment selection and improve long-term outcomes.
Dr. Beckley is a medical oncology fellow whose background bridges engineering and medicine, reflecting the interdisciplinary approach increasingly needed to advance cancer care.
Conquer Cancer-Women Leaders in Oncology Endowed Young Investigator Award
Silverstein’s research focuses on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as a noninvasive approach to understanding tumor biology in ovarian cancer. Her work evaluates how CTCs may help identify patients eligible for antibody-drug conjugates, potentially reducing reliance on invasive biopsies and accelerating access to targeted therapies.
The Women Leaders in Oncology Endowed Young Investigator Award reflects WLO’s commitment to supporting emerging physician-scientists whose work has the potential to shape both the science and the future of leadership in oncology. By investing in research at a pivotal stage, the award helps create momentum for promising investigators and the patients their work is designed to serve.
Dr. Silverstein’s approach also reflects a broader shift in oncology toward real-time, blood-based monitoring that can enable faster, more informed treatment decisions and expand access to emerging therapies.
“Receiving a Young Investigator Award was a dream I held from the very first days of fellowship, and having it become real is a dream come true — telling me that my work has scientific merit and that I belong at the table,” said Dr. Silverstein. “Research is rarely easy, but my patients give me an unshakeable reason to persist, and this award reminds me that others believe in that mission too.”
About Women Leaders in Oncology
Since 2014, Women Leaders in Oncology (WLO), a Vaniam Group company, has built a community dedicated to advancing leadership and opportunity in oncology. Founded by Deanna B. van Gestel, WLO brings together women oncology leaders alongside the colleagues, mentors, and allies committed to advancing them, across research, clinical care, and drug development, to foster connection, support career progression, and accelerate progress across the field.
To support this initiative, visit CONQUER.ORG/WLO.
About Vaniam Group
Vaniam Group is the integrated oncology organization built for what’s next, grounded in two decades of scientific depth, sustained engagement across the oncology community, and longitudinal insight that compounds with every program.
For more than two decades, Vaniam has worked with biopharma to translate complexity into clarity, connecting data, insight, and engagement to inform decisions and shape strategy across oncology.
Learn more at vaniamgroup.com.
