SITC Awards $150,000 to Emerging Cancer Immunotherapy Researchers

The fellowship recipients, selected for their potential to address critical gaps in oncology, will be formally recognized at the SITC 2026 Annual Meeting in Phoenix this November. Janna Minehart, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania, received the $50,000 SITC-Merck Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship to study reversible TET2 switches in CAR T cells. Simon Milette, PhD, of Yale University, was awarded $100,000 to explore PRMT5 targeting as a method to enhance T cell cytotoxicity in melanoma patients. Additionally, Nicholas C. Love, MD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center, secured a full-time position through the NCI Immunotherapy Fellowship.

Since 2014, the Forward Fund has distributed over $6 million to support the next generation of scientists. According to SITC Vice President Sandra Demaria, MD, these investments are essential to building the scientific foundation required for future breakthroughs. The fellowships are supported by contributions from EMD Serono, Merck, and the Society itself, which continues to accept applications for the 2027-2028 NCI cycle as it pursues its long-term goal of improving patient outcomes through immunological innovation.