We were delighted to welcome the cancer research community to Lisbon, Portugal for the EACR Annual Congress 2025: Innovative Cancer Science between 16 – 19 June 2025.
We enjoyed an outstanding programme of fascinating science with a range of Plenary sessions, Symposia, Meet the Expert panels and Career Discovery sessions. We welcomed a record-breaking 2,800+ participants from 85 countries through the doors of the Lisbon Congress Centre. In our feedback survey, 93% told us they returned home with new ideas and ways of thinking to apply in their research, and 82% said they plan to follow up with someone they met to continue discussions, explore collaborations, or develop new ideas. We were also told that this year’s scientific programme was better than last year because it included more emerging research topics, such as cancer neuroscience. Thank you so much to everyone who joined us!
This year’s programme included five Keynote Lectures. There were Proffered Paper presentations throughout the week on a range of topics, and 1732 posters on display. You can read the abstracts in our affiliated journal, Molecular Oncology (click ‘PDF’ below the image).
Award Lectures
The first day saw the presentation of three prestigious awards: the EACR-Mark Foundation-Pezcoller Foundation Rising Star Award, the Pezcoller Foundation-EACR Translational Cancer Researcher Award, and the Pezcoller-Marina Larcher Fogazzaro-EACR Women in Cancer Research Award.
Marta Kovatcheva, Group Leader at the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology in Italy, received the Rising Star Award which recognises an exceptional researcher in the field of cancer research. The Translational Cancer Researcher Award was presented to Ido Amit of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, followed by the presentation of the Women in Cancer Research Award to Karin E. de Visser of the Division of Tumor Biology & Immunology of the Netherlands Cancer Institute.
Each recipient then delivered an Award Lecture as part of the main Congress programme.
Speed Networking and Career Discovery Sessions
On Tuesday and Wednesday the programme included opportunities especially for student and early-career participants, including a Speed Networking Session.
We also hosted Career Discovery Sessions dedicated to young researchers looking to boost their career by learning tips and tricks on different professional pathways. Participants could join various ’round tables’, each focused on a given topic and expertise.
Topics included leadership, the challenges of starting a new lab, how to make your research transferable to the clinic, and building equitable research careers for women. Participants also got the opportunity to discuss with a representative from the European Research Council about ERC funding opportunities for starting or establishing a research group in the EU or associated countries.
The Sessions proved to be hugely popular and well received by those who pre-registered to attend. They have been praised multiple times in our participant feedback survey as a highlight of the Congress programme.
Exhibition Passport Competition
The EACR 2025 Congress was supported by 118 companies and associations who joined the exhibition. A big set-up and lots of companies to visit can be overwhelming, so we wanted an ice-breaker to connect you with all the friendly company reps ready to chat.
After a successful contest the previous two years, our passport competition returned to encourage participants to explore the exhibition. Each stand hosted a unique QR code; the more companies you visited and scanned, the more entries you got into the prize draw to win a 2025 Apple iPad and a free registration to next year’s Congress.
After 10,805 individual entries, we were delighted to draw the winner, David Tébar, who picked up his prize before the end of the Congress. We also awarded free registrations to next year’s Congress to two runners up, Maria Monteiro and Aanchal Chopra.
We hope everyone enjoyed the friendly competition and touring the bustling exhibition. We hope you’ll take part again next year in Budapest!
EACR Congress Correspondents
This year we launched a new initiative featuring 12 Congress Correspondents – EACR Ambassadors who shared real-time insights and highlights from the event across social media. From live reactions to Keynote Lectures to behind-the-scenes glimpses from poster sessions, their posts brought the Congress experience to life for both in-person attendees and our global online community. By tagging the EACR and using the #EACR2025 hashtag, they helped broaden the reach and impact of the Congress across platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky.
Thank you very much to you all for your enthusiastic coverage! See our posts on LinkedIn, Bluesky and Instagram to follow each of this year’s Congress Correspondents.
#KeepResearchCurious
#KeepResearchCuriousThe Congress gave us a powerful platform to highlight our commitment to #KeepResearchCurious – a reminder that the spark of discovery often begins with bold, curiosity-driven questions. We champion early-stage cancer research because it lays the groundwork for tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
That’s why continued investment in curiosity-driven research is so crucial. It’s in the questions no one’s asked yet, and the paths not yet explored, that the next life-saving breakthroughs are waiting. By backing this kind of science, we’re not just funding research – we’re opening doors to discoveries that could redefine what’s possible for cancer patients everywhere.
#EACR2025 on social media
We loved seeing the Congress from a participant’s point of view, and were thrilled to see so many attendees sharing their own photos and videos in social media posts. Here are some select highlights from the activity we saw on the Congress hashtag…
@carloscaldas1960.bsky.social and the Caldasians will always #KeepResearchCurious and never stop doing good science!
#EACR2025
@helloeacr.bsky.social— Caldas Lab (@caldaslab.bsky.social) June 18, 2025 at 7:48 PM
As part of the Cancer Researchers to Watch – An Early Career Showcase, the EACR Early Career Researchers Council took a moment to brainstorm with the early-career EACR members in the audience strategies that would better support the next-generation cancer scientists.
#EACR2025
— Alexandra Boitor (@alexandraboitor.bsky.social) June 15, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Such an incredible view on the way to our EACR congress
Excited for another day of stellar cancer science!
#EACR2025
@helloeacr.bsky.social— Johanna Joyce (@johannajoyce.bsky.social) June 17, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Finishing the day with the Congress Celebrating Dinner at Páteo Alfacinha, Lisbon.
#EACR2025— Vanessa Ribeiro (@vrscience.bsky.social) June 18, 2025 at 11:32 PM
EACR 2026
We’re already looking forward to next year’s event! Come and join us in Budapest, Hungary in 2026 for more engaging science and fantastic networking opportunities. Sign up to the mailing list for the EACR 2026 Annual Congress to be the first to know when registration opens.
