Shelley L. Berger, PhD, FAACR, has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to cancer research by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) with the 2025 AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Lectureship.

This award, supported by Gilead and Kite Oncology, is presented to outstanding scientists who have made meritorious contributions to the field of cancer research and who have, through leadership or by example, furthered the advancement of women in science.

Berger, a Fellow of the AACR Academy, is the Daniel S. Och University Professor with appointments in both the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the founder and director of the Penn Epigenetics Institute and the codirector of the Tumor Biology Program at the Abramson Cancer Center. She is being recognized for her fundamental discoveries in cancer epigenetics, including how histone modifications and transcription factors regulate cancer, aging, and T-cell function. Berger’s groundbreaking research has elucidated key mechanisms of p53 regulation, chromatin remodeling, and immune cell epigenetics, advancing our understanding of cancer biology and therapeutic strategies. She is also recognized for her transformative leadership in mentoring the next generation of scientists, expanding opportunities for researchers from all backgrounds, and shaping national policies to strengthen the biomedical workforce.

Link to AACR Press Release: https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/newsroom/news-releases/aacr-announces-2025-scientific-achievement-award-recipients/