The American Association for Cancer Research has recognized Cheryl H. Arrowsmith, Chief Scientist of the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, and Professor in the Department of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, with the 2026 AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry in Cancer Research.

This award honors outstanding, novel, and significant contributions in chemistry that advance cancer research across basic and translational domains. Prof. Arrowsmith is recognized for her pioneering work in chemical biology and cancer epigenetics, including foundational studies defining the structure and function of chromatin-associated proteins that regulate gene expression in cancer.

Her research has enabled the development of chemical probes targeting key epigenetic regulators, including protein methyltransferases, methyl-lysine reader domains, bromodomains, and other chromatin-modifying enzymes, providing critical, openly available tools to interrogate cancer biology and validate new therapeutic targets.

Through her leadership at SGC, Prof. Arrowsmith has helped establish an international open science model that delivers high-quality chemical probes and data to the global research community without restriction, accelerating the discovery of novel cancer targets and therapeutic strategies. This work continues to inform large-scale efforts such as Target 2035, which aims to develop pharmacological tools for every human protein.

This recognition reflects both the scientific impact of Prof. Arrowsmith’s research and the broader role of open science in enabling progress in cancer discovery.

The award ceremony took place during the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting in San Diego.

We congratulate Cheryl Arrowsmith on this achievement.

Link to AACR announcement: https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/newsroom/news-releases/aacr-announces-2026-scientific-achievement-award-recipients/