The Pezcoller Foundation – AACR International Award
for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research

A prize of € 75,000, in collaboration with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), based on an agreement executed on April 13, 1997 and renewed on April 5, 2018.

This award replaces the “Pezcoller International Prize for Cancer Research” which goes to V. De Vita in 1988, M. Tubiana in 1991, B. Vogelstein in 1993, P. Nurse in 1995, and then the Nobel Prize in 2001.

The Pezcoller-AACR Award annually recognize a scientist of international renown:

  • who has made a major scientific discovery in basic cancer research, or
  • who has made significant contributions to translational cancer research,
  • who continues to be active in cancer research and has a record of recent, noteworthy publications and
  • whose ongoing work holds promise for continued substantive contributions to progress in the field of cancer

The selection Committee is renewed every year and consists of 11 internationally recognized scientists, 5 selected from the AACR and 5 from the Pezcoller Foundation, plus the Chairman selected from the previous year’s Committee.

Drs Douglas Lowy and John Schiller, the winners of the 2026 Pezcoller Foundation – AACR International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research

The Winner

  • Will present his/her award lecture at the AACR Annual Meeting
  • Will actually receive the award during the official ceremony at the Foundation’s headquarters in Trento, Italy
  • Is required to present 2 scientific lectures at the Universities of Padova and of Trento.

2027 call for nomination deadlines: June 30, 2026

For more information, visit the AACR website or download the “Award Program Guidelines”.

Pezcoller-AACR International Award Ceremony at Teatro Sociale

THE PEZCOLLER LECTURES

In addition to the scientific lecture at the AACR Annual Meeting, the winner of the Award is requested to present a scientific lecture at Padova and Trento Universities. 

These Pezcoller Lectures are aimed to strengthen the collaboration between the Pezcoller Foundation and the Italian scientific community and are essential part of the Award ceremony in Trento.

PEZCOLLER-AACR AWARD WINNERS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS

2025 - Douglas Hanahan

Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research of Lausanne

2024 - Titia de Lange

Anderson Center for Cancer Research at The Rockefeller University

2023 - Tak W. Mak

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; University of Toronto; University of Hong Kong

2022 - Steven A. Rosenberg

NCI; Washington University.

2021 - Hans Clevers

Hubrecht Institute; Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology; Utrecht University

2020 - John E. Dick

Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; University Health Network; University of Toronto

2019 - Alberto Mantovani

Humanitas University

2018 - Tony Hunter

American Cancer Society; The Salk Institute

2017 - David M. Livingston

2016 - Joan Massagué

Sloan Kettering Institute; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

2015 - James P. Allison NOBEL 2018

2014 - Elaine Fuchs

2013 - Peter A. Vogt

2012 - Robert A. Weinberg

2011 - Pier Paolo Pandolfi

2010 - Joseph Schlessinger

2009 - Napoleone Ferrara

2008 - Axel Ullrich

2007 - Mina J. Bissell

2006 - Tadatsugu Taniguchi

2005 - Lewis Cantley

2004 - Stanley Korsmeyer

2003 - Mario R. Capecchi NOBEL 2007

2002 - Carl Henrik Heldin

2001 - Elizabeth Blackburn NOBEL 2009

2000 - Charles J. Sherr

1999 - Carlo Croce

1998 - Anthony J. Pawson