Cancer Leadership Awards

About the Awards

Each year, Friends of Cancer Research (Friends) hosts our Annual Cancer Leadership Awards. The yearly event brings together leaders in government, advocacy, industry, and science to celebrate partnerships and innovations that benefit patients. Each year we honor two leaders in the field, one with the Ellen V. Sigal Advocacy Award and one with the Marlene A. Malek Public Service Award.

When Ellen and Marlene founded Friends in 1996, they both saw a compelling need to increase public awareness and support for cancer research and recognized the need for increased scientific capacity across all federal health agencies. The Ellen V. Sigal Advocacy Award celebrates Dr. Ellen Sigal’s lifelong commitment to science, research, and patient advocacy that she has brought to our work. The Marlene A. Malek Public Service Award celebrates Marlene A. Malek’s lifelong commitment to science, public policy, and service that has proved invaluable to the organization. These awards honor both of their extraordinary legacies and the importance of their partnership for Friends and the patients we serve.

Scroll through below to see our current and former honorees.