We are pleased to announce that Daniel Kirschenbaum has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 EACR-Mark Foundation-Pezcoller Foundation Rising Star Award. Established in 2023, this prestigious award recognises one outstanding cancer researcher annually and aims to support pioneering projects that can have a transformative impact on the field.
Daniel Kirschenbaum, physician scientist and practicing neuropathologist at the University Hospital Zurich and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), was selected for his innovative research proposal on understanding the dynamic behaviour of immune cells in brain tumours. By combining clinical insight with innovative single-cell technologies, he aims to reveal how immune responses unfold in real time.
He was chosen as the winner following a thorough evaluation by an independent review panel, with members from the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR), the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, and the Pezcoller Foundation.
The EACR-Mark Foundation-Pezcoller Foundation Rising Star Award 2026 was open to EACR members with an unfunded Score ‘A’ cancer-related project from the 2024 ERC Starting Grant calls. The award grants the recipient up to €100,000 in funding to commence their project, with an additional 10% allocated for institutional overheads. The intention behind this award is to facilitate the advancement of exceptional cancer research by bridging the period before resubmission to the ERC.
Daniel will formally accept the award and present his work at the EACR 2026 Congress (Budapest, Hungary, 08-11 June 2026). This gathering of leading scientists and researchers from around the world offers a platform to exchange knowledge, foster collaborations, and inspire new breakthroughs in cancer research.
In response to the award, Daniel shared, “I am truly honoured to receive this prestigious award, and humbled to be selected from among so many outstanding applicants. It is especially encouraging that the selection committee recognised our scientific vision and approach. This award represents tremendous support and will enable us to push the boundaries of how we study immune cells in cancer. It will allow us to pursue our most ambitious experiments and explore the spatiotemporal control of immune cell behaviour in unprecedented depth. I am also excited about the interactions and exchange of ideas with the EACR community that the Rising Star Award will make possible. I am very grateful to the EACR, the Mark Foundation, and the Pezcoller Foundation for this opportunity.”
Jane Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the EACR, remarked, “We are pleased to congratulate Daniel as the 2026 recipient of this award and we look forward to his award lecture at the EACR congress in Budapest. We are proud to continue to partner with the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research and the Pezcoller Foundation on this prestigious award across Europe, and we thank them for their collaboration.”
Ryan Schoenfeld, Chief Executive Officer of the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, also extends his congratulations, “Dr. Kirschenbaum’s research provides a vital bridge between patient care and deep biological discovery. By capturing when and how immune cells respond to cancer, he is opening a new window into the tumour microenvironment that could redefine our approach to challenging diseases like glioblastoma. The Mark Foundation is proud to partner with the EACR and the Pezcoller Foundation to ensure that innovative researchers like Dr. Kirschenbaum have the resources to move their most ambitious projects forward.”
The President of The Pezcoller Foundation, Enzo Galligioni, shared, “If it is true that today’s research is the premise for tomorrow’s cancer cure, it is even more likely that talented young researchers, such as the winners of the EACR-Mark Foundation-Pezcoller Foundation Rising Star Award, will be among those who can make the greatest contributions to the development of cancer knowledge and treatment. So, we are especially proud for this collaboration with EACR and the Mark Foundation for this important Award and we congratulate Daniel Kirschenbaum and wish him all the best in his research.”
Please join us in congratulating Daniel Kirschenbaum on this well-earned recognition and wishing his continued success as he leads his groundbreaking research efforts.
Looking ahead: 2027 Rising Star Award
Preparations are underway for the 2027 EACR-Mark Foundation-Pezcoller Foundation Rising Star Award. We encourage researchers and scientists in the field of cancer research to look out for the announcement in 2026 of the call for applications.
About Daniel Kirschenbaum: Daniel Kirschenbaum is a physician scientist and practicing neuropathologist, working at the University Hospital Zurich and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). His work focuses on understanding the dynamic behavior of immune cells in brain tumours. By combining clinical insight with innovative single-cell technologies, he aims to reveal how immune responses unfold in real time. His long-term vision is to chart the behavior and interactions of immune cells in cancer, and how these could be harnessed to treat aggressive cancers such as glioblastoma. For this, he develops tools that capture immune processes as they happen, with special emphasis on the temporal dimension of biology.
About the EACR: The European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) is a professional membership organisation dedicated to advancing cancer research through communication, collaboration, and dissemination of knowledge.
About the Mark Foundation: The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is a philanthropic organisation committed to accelerating cancer research and translating discoveries into improved patient care.
About the Pezcoller Foundation: The Pezcoller Foundation promotes and supports scientific research in oncology and recognises outstanding contributions to the field.
