We were delighted to welcome the cancer research community to Budapest, Hungary for the EACR Annual Congress 2026: Innovative Cancer Science between 08 – 11 June 2026.
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 2400+ participants from nearly 70 countries through the doors of the Hungexpo Congress and Exhibition Centre. In our feedback survey, 94% told us the Congress sparked new ideas or ways of thinking that they plan to explore further in their research, and 80% said they made new professional connections at the Congress. We were also told that this year’s scientific programme represented the most cutting-edge topics, such as tumour heterogeneity at the single cell level. Thank you so much to everyone who joined us!
This year’s programme included more than 90 invited speakers and panelists. There were Proffered Paper presentations throughout the week on a range of topics, and 1410 posters on display. The abstracts will be published in our affiliated journal, Molecular Oncology.
Award Lectures
The first day saw the presentation of three prestigious awards: the 2026 EACR-Mark Foundation-Pezcoller Foundation Rising Star Award, the Pezcoller Foundation-EACR Translational Cancer Researcher Award 2026, and the Pezcoller-Marina Larcher Fogazzaro-EACR Women in Cancer Research Award 2026.
Daniel Kirschenbaum, physician scientist and practicing neuropathologist at the University Hospital Zurich and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), received the Rising Star Award which recognises an exceptional researcher in the field of cancer research. The Translational Cancer Researcher Award was presented to Samra Turajlic, Director of Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute and Cancer Dynamics Group Leader, followed by the presentation of the Women in Cancer Research Award to Ayelet Erez of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Each recipient delivered an Award Lecture as part of the main Congress programme.
Speed Networking and Career Discovery Sessions
On Monday and Tuesday 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, balancing clinical and academic opportunities, entry into bioinformatics, and further conversations on breaking the glass ceiling in cancer research. 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 were 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 2026 Congress was supported by 120 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 three 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 an Apple iPad and a free registration to next year’s Congress.
After 447 individual entries, we were delighted to draw the winner, Diana Piesel, who picked up the prize before the end of the Congress. We also awarded free registrations to next year’s Congress to two runners up, Mohamad Rima and Ayse Busranur Celik.
We hope everyone enjoyed the friendly competition and touring the bustling exhibition. We hope you’ll take part again next year in Bilbao!
#KeepResearchCurious
The 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.
#EACR2026 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…
Great start of #EACR2026: Women in Science discussion panel with @johannajoyce.bsky.social #JaneSmith, @samuels_yardena, #CarolineDive and a great group of female researchers on the rise!
@helloeacr.bsky.social— Marisol Soengas (@msmelanoma.bsky.social) June 8, 2026 at 1:38 PM
What an amazing experience at @helloeacr.bsky.social 2026 conference at Budapest, where I had the opportunity to present my work on lymph node metastasis!
A thank you to the organisers and the speakers as well as everyone who stopped by my poster for the interesting discussions! #EACR2026— Apostolos Panagiotis Nikolakopoulos (@apnikolakopoulos.bsky.social) June 11, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Very glad I was able to give a talk to share my work on #leukemia, #autophagy and #therapeuticresistance at #EACR2026.
Thank you for this amazing opportunity! What a week full of incredible science!— Laura Poillet, PhD (@laurapoillet.bsky.social) June 18, 2026 at 9:04 AM
EACR 2027
We’re already looking forward to next year’s event! Come and join us in Bilbao, Spain in 2027 for more engaging science and fantastic networking opportunities. Sign up to the mailing list for the EACR 2027 Annual Congress to be the first to know when registration opens.
