The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will award Scarlett Lin Gomez, MPH, PhD, with the 2024 AACR Distinguished Lectureship on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities during the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved, to be held in Los Angeles September 21-24. This special AACR award recognizes an investigator whose novel and significant work has had or may have a far-reaching impact on the etiology, detection, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of cancer health disparities. Gomez Is Professor and Vice Chair of Faculty Development in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Co-Leader of the Cancer Control Program for the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is being honored for her outstanding accomplishments in cancer disparities research that have advanced the scientific understanding of cancer etiology and survivorship across under-represented patient populations.
Gomez’s research has focused and continues to focus on structural and social drivers of health (SDOH) and their contribution to cancer and health disparities. Notably, she developed the California Neighborhoods Data System, a resource for linking neighborhood data on social and built environments to California Cancer Registry data. She has also led innovative studies dedicated to ascertaining the impact of various SDOH—including discrimination, immigration-related stress, and contemporary red-lining and racial bias in mortgage lending—on cancer disparities.
One of Gomez’s many laudable achievements has been her leadership in spotlighting the hidden cancer disparities among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations. She has been a driving force in highlighting the importance of disaggregating data concerning these diverse populations into distinct groups to better understand the challenges and needs of specific communities. Gomez’s team was the first to assemble data documenting the high incidence of lung cancer among Asian American women who have never smoked. Following this research, Gomez launched the Female Asian Never Smokers (FANS) Study, an ongoing etiologic study investigating possible causes of lung cancer in this patient population, including second-hand smoke, genetics, and cultural factors.
Gomez has been honored with several awards throughout her career, including the Christopher N. H. Jenkins Cancer Control Award (2023), the American Society of Preventive Oncology Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr. Distinguished Achievement Award (2022), the Mentoring Award (2014) and Above and Beyond Excellence Award (2012), both from the Cancer Prevention Institute of California, and the American Journal of Public Health Author of the Year (2010).
An AACR member since 2009, Gomez is a leader in the AACR’s efforts to combat cancer disparities. She is a member of the program committee for this year’s AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved and previously served as co-chair (2018) and member (2017, 2015, 2013) of the program committee for the same conference.
Gomez is a current member of the AACR Minorities in Cancer Research and Women in Cancer Research constituency groups. She was co-chair of the steering committee for the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report in 2024 and 2022; a member of the Education Committee for the AACR Annual Meeting 2024; and chair and committee member for a number of AACR scientific achievement award and grant committees. Gomez has served in several editorial capacities with the AACR’s journals over the years. She is currently a deputy editor for Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention and an editorial board member for Cancer Prevention Research.
Gomez received her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, her master’s degree at the University of Michigan, and her PhD at Stanford University. Her award lecture will be held during the Opening Session of the conference, which will take place Saturday, September 21, from 4-6 p.m. PT.
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About the American Association for Cancer Research
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 58,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 142 countries and territories around the world. Presently, 32% of members live outside the United States and 22% of AACR’s international members are located in countries with emerging economies. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting. The AACR publishes 10 prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals. Other AACR publications include Cancer Today, a magazine for cancer patients and caregivers; the annual AACR Cancer Progress Report; AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report; AACR Annual Impact Report; Leading Discoveries, the AACR’s awareness and donor magazine; and the blog, Cancer Research Catalyst. In addition, the AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.
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