Demonstrating its commitment to advancing immunotherapy and supporting the next generation of scientific leaders, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Forward Fund is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 fellowships, awarding a total of $430,000 to support groundbreaking cancer research initiatives.
MILWAUKEE, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Demonstrating its commitment to advancing immunotherapy and supporting the next generation of scientific leaders, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Forward Fund is proud to announce the recipients of its 2025 fellowships, awarding a total of $430,000 to support groundbreaking cancer research initiatives.
"With the invaluable support of our industry partners, we are thrilled to empower early career investigators whose work is driving progress in cancer immunotherapy," said SITC Vice President Sandra Demaria, MD. "These fellowships not only advance critical scientific discoveries, but also help shape the future of our field and improve outcomes for patients worldwide."
The 2025 fellowships are made possible through the Forward Fund, established by SITC to advance the science and application of cancer immunology and immunotherapy by supporting education and research initiatives. Since 2014, SITC has awarded more than $6 million to emerging researchers pursuing innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges in immunotherapy.
SITC will recognize the recipients during its 40th Anniversary Annual Meeting this November at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.
The 2025 SITC Forward Fund fellowship recipients are:
SITC-Genmab Cancer Immunotherapy in Hematologic Malignancies: DLBCL, FL, and CLL Translational Fellowship
Award Amount: $100,000 (one year)
Awardee: Mohamad Ali Najia, PhD
Institution: Boston Children's Hospital
Project Title: "Epigenetic reactivation of endogenous retroelements to stimulate anti-tumor immunity in DLBCL"
SITC-Merck Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship
Award Amount: $100,000 (one year)
Awardee: Anna Ralser, MD, PhD
Institution: The J. David Gladstone Institutes
Project Title: "Inducing immune niches to unlock anti-tumor responses in immunotherapy-resistant CRC"
SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Fellowship
Award Amount: $100,000 (one year)
Awardee: Ivan Susin Pires, PhD
Institution: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Project Title: "Engineering Multivalent Nanobody Constructs for Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy"
NCI Immunotherapy Fellowship
Award Description: One-year full time position at the NCI
Awardee: Matthew Rosenthal, MD
Institution: The George Washington University
*SITC is currently accepting applications for the 2026-2027 NCI Immunotherapy Fellowship.
The 2025 SITC Forward Fund fellowships were made possible through the generosity of EMD Serono, Genmab, Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.
To learn more about current and past SITC fellowship recipients, visit the SITC website.
About SITC
Established in 1984, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is a nonprofit organization of medical professionals dedicated to improving cancer patient outcomes by advancing the development, science and application of cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology. SITC is comprised of influential basic and translational scientists, practitioners, health care professionals, government leaders and industry professionals around the globe. Through educational initiatives that foster scientific exchange and collaboration among leaders in the field, SITC aims to one day make the word "cure" a reality for cancer patients everywhere. Learn more about SITC, our educational offerings and other resources at sitcancer.org and follow us on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Media Contact
Thomas Martin, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), 414-271-2456, [email protected], sitcancer.org
SOURCE Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)
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