Sara Myers, MD, PhD, believes a special and uncommon opportunity awaits her as recipient of the 2026 Block Lectureship Junior Faculty Award. As this year’s awardee, Dr. Myers, a surgical oncologist who treats patients with breast cancer at the OSUCCC – James, will soon begin a two-year mentorship with acclaimed surgical oncologist Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, who in July will become president of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Dr. Bertagnolli is the 27th recipient of the Herbert and Maxine Block Memorial Lectureship Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer, a $50,000 prize that the OSUCCC – James gives to an internationally known cancer researcher who then visits Ohio State to accept the honor, lecture about their work and connect with a junior faculty member to mentor. Dr. Bertagnolli is the 27th recipient of the Herbert and Maxine Block Memorial Lectureship Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer, a $50,000 prize that the OSUCCC – James gives to an internationally known cancer researcher who then visits Ohio State to accept the honor, lecture about their work and connect with a junior faculty member to mentor. Dr. Bertagnolli, who also is a former director of the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health, will be mentoring Dr. Myers, an assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Ohio State and member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James. “It’s a privilege to be able to learn from individuals like Dr. Bertagnolli who have made it their life’s mission not only to care for patients but also to advance the quality of that care,” says Dr. Myers, who also co-leads the recently launched Building Research Innovation and Care Delivery for Groups with Early-Onset Cancers (BRIDGE) initiative at the OSUCCC – James. “As a surgeon-scientist myself, to be mentored by another surgeon-scientist has a special type of value. Dr. Bertagnolli is unique in the infrastructure she’s created during her career, not only on a local and regional level but nationally,” Dr. Myers says. “With her involvement in clinical trial collaborative groups, she has brought people together to make a difference for cancer patents. To learn from someone like her in terms of advancing science, clinical care and collaborative leadership capacity is a very rare opportunity.” She also is grateful to the Block family for supporting cancer research at Ohio State for over four decades. “Without the support of the Block family, this career-defining experience would not have been possible.” Dr. Myers plans to make the most of this honor, noting that her work as a clinical and health services researcher aligns well with Dr. Bertagnolli’s expertise and direction of her leadership efforts for NAM. As a surgeon scientist, Dr. Myers strives to improve clinical and quality-of-life outcomes for those with early-onset breast cancer by developing and implementing age-specific protocols that reduce the incidence and severity of treatment-related adverse events, including lymphedema and financial hardship. “I’m very interested in mitigating financial toxicities,” Dr. Myers says. “Young people who receive a cancer diagnosis are trying to navigate what that means for their life at the same time as they are undergoing transitions to independence, including financial independence. It’s very difficult to be concerned about your cancer care when you’re also contending with these developmental milestones. “We’ve made some progress in addressing economic burden during treatment,” she adds, “but survivors have to deal with the long-term effects of cancer and its treatment. That can lead to financial concerns over their entire lifetime.” She says financial difficulties and other life concerns – such as raising children and building careers – are being addressed by BRIDGE, a signature initiative of James CEO and OSUCCC Director W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, that tackles the rising issue of early-onset cancer by coordinating support across disease types, setting a new standard of care tailored to the needs of this patient population. “BRIDGE describes an approach that marries clinical care with long-term survivorship while also engaging with patients’ community providers and giving patients access to research that individualizes treatment,” Dr. Myers explains. “In all the leadership positions she has held, Dr. Bertagnolli has implemented advances in clinical care and research, and that’s what I strive to do in my work. I hope to learn how she has done these things so well.” She particularly admires Dr. Bertagnolli’s emphasis on making sure all patients have access to high-quality, evidence-based care.” Junior Fellowship Award recipients receive $25,000 to help further their research, and Dr. Myers already has plans for using that money in a way that reflects Dr. Bertagnolli’s work at the NAM. “We’re trying to understand priorities for patients with young adult and early-onset cancer, and how to map those onto guideline-concordant care in each clinical pathway,” Dr. Myers says, “so some of the money will go toward mirroring Dr. Bertagnolli’s efforts into our breast cancer program.” As the mother of three daughters ages 6, 4 and 4 (twins), Dr. Myers admits that her work hits home. “As a parent who practices medicine and is constantly encountering young individuals diagnosed with an illness that we typically don’t expect to occur at these ages, I worry for myself and my own children,” she says. “And so, on a very personal level and on a daily basis, I’m hoping to make the world a better place for my kids and for all.”