Laura Esserman, MD, MBA, has been selected to receive the 2026 AIM-HI Beacon Award for Women Leaders in Oncology

Laura Esserman, MD, MBA, has been selected to receive the 2026 AIM-HI Beacon Award for Women Leaders in Oncology, honoring a career spent reimagining what breast cancer care can be.

A daring thinker and tireless advocate for patients, Dr. Esserman has created new paths forward through I-SPY, WISDOM and RECAST DCIS.

The reach of that work is extraordinary: more than 4,000 patients enrolled in I-SPY across 45 sites, with more than 35 agents and treatment combinations to be tested by year’s end; 85,000 women enrolled in WISDOM since 2016; and nearly 200 patients enrolled in RECAST DCIS in just two years.

Behind every number is her pursuit of a fundamental goal: making breast cancer screening more precise, clinical trials more responsive and treatment more closely aligned with the biology and needs of each patient.

Dr. Esserman will be celebrated on October 9th at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., for a body of work that has moved the entire field forward.