Think Shark Tank, But for Cancer Health Equity: Meet Our Impact Pitch Catalysts

What happens when bold cancer health equity ideas meet a Shark Tank-style stage? At the Summit on Cancer Health Disparities 2026 (SCHD26), the Impact Pitch brings innovators face-to-face with nationally recognized oncology leaders competing for a $25,000 research award. With expert catalysts evaluating feasibility, scientific rigor, scalability, and real-world implementation, this high-energy competition transforms promising research into actionable solutions aimed at closing cancer care gaps worldwide.

"And for those reasons… I am out," but not at the Impact Pitch, where the goal is to phase out disparities in cancer care and delivery.

The Impact Pitch is a Shark Tank-style exchange where innovators present bold ideas on cancer health equity to compete for a $25,000 research award. And now, it has an expert panel of judges ready to serve as catalysts during the pitch. Just as the Sharks keep entrepreneurs on their toes in the tank, our catalysts are prepared to critique ideas, evaluate their depth, and push for stronger execution.

This competition takes place during the Summit on Cancer Health Disparities (SCHD) at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue on March 28th, 2026. With an auditorium swarming with top-notch oncologists and multidisciplinary healthcare professionals across the country, the Impact Pitch value extends far beyond the $25,000 award.

First authors of accepted abstracts have been invited to submit research proposals, and a select cohort is currently under review by the abstract committee. Selected finalists will then have the opportunity to present their research projects to a live audience and an expert panel of judges, serving as catalysts.

The role of these catalysts goes beyond scoring the novelty of an idea. They will assess how deeply innovators command their subject, the feasibility of idea implementation, and the real-world impact that could follow. Just like in business, the stakes are high. The auditorium will be charged with rapid-fire questions, and our catalysts are ready to accelerate the boldest ideas and bring them to life.

Introducing SCHD26 Impact Pitch Catalysts

1. Dr. Don Dizon

First up is a judge who brings both intellectual firepower and an unmistakable directness to the panel: Don Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO.

As the Editor-in-Chief of CA - A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, as well as Service Line Chief of Hematology and Oncology at Tufts Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Tufts University, Dr. Dizon is no stranger to high-stakes conversations in oncology. He is also a familiar face at Binaytara's SCHD conferences, and this year, he is leading as the co-chair of the abstract review committee. This position has given him a front-row seat to the ideas shaping the future of cancer equity.

On what clinicians should take away from this conference, he put it plainly: "This is the seminal meeting that tackles disparities in cancer care head-on. Clinicians should become more aware of the issues faced, regardless of where they live, and walk away with a clearer understanding of what we are looking at to address them, and what is possible regardless of your access to resources."

At the Impact pitch, Dr. Dizon will be fishing for the nuances and practicability of the presented ideas.

2. Dr. Christine Laine

The next catalyst on the panel is a judge whose editorial influence has shaped how medicine thinks, publishes, and holds itself accountable.

Meet Christine Laine, MD, MPH, the Editor-in-Chief of the Annals of Internal Medicine and Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine at Jefferson Medical College. Based on her expertise, Dr. Laine brings to the Impact Pitch the ability to see a research idea for how rigorously it can withstand scrutiny. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2024, one of the highest honors in health and medicine, for her work tackling some of the nation’s toughest issues, including gun violence, research integrity, misinformation, reproductive rights, health equity, and scientific ethics. Throughout her career, she has asked the hard questions and pushed for answers that hit the bullseye. As finalists present their innovative ideas, if the data does not hold up, she will probe it.

3. Dr. Jerald Radich

This catalyst has spent decades asking why some patients beat leukemia, and others do not.

Meet Jerald Radich, MD, a Professor in the Translational Science and Therapeutics Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and holder of the Kurt Enslein Endowed Chair. Dr. Radich is one of the most respected molecular oncologists working in leukemia today. But his contributions go beyond the hospital wards and lab bench. He has led efforts to make molecular diagnostic testing more accessible in resource-poor settings, a priority that places him squarely in alignment with Binaytara's mission. A longtime faculty presence at SCHD conferences, he has also served as chair of Binaytara's global oncology conference, bringing that same rigorous, translational lens to the conversations that shape cancer equity education.

During the Impact Pitch, Dr. Radich will be looking for the science underneath the idea. Finalists presenting in the hematology and oncology space should expect questions that go deep, fast.

4. Dr. Shailender Bhatia

Introducing Shailender Bhatia, MD, the Bridge-Builder on the Impact Pitch panel of catalysts.

He is a medical oncologist at Fred Hutch whose work stretches from cutting-edge cancer therapy to the front lines of global equity. At Binaytara, Dr. Bhatia has shown up as faculty and featured speaker at conferences focused on cancer disparities and global oncology. So, he brings clinical depth to conversations that demand both precision and perspective. And behind the scenes, as a reviewer for Binaytara’s flagship publication, the International Journal of Cancer Care and Delivery, he applies a careful editorial lens to emerging research, ensuring that bold ideas are backed by sound evidence.

As finalists step up to the competition stage, Dr. Bhatia will be listening for scalability, feasibility, and global relevance. Ideas that can travel and build bridges where gaps in care still exist.

5. Dr. Shivaani Kummar

The next catalyst on the panel is a strategist whose clinical acumen and leadership have helped define how precision oncology is taught and applied.

Meet Shivaani Kummar, M.D., FACP, a medical oncologist at Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute whose work bridges high-impact research with practical progress in targeted therapy. As a faculty member in our Precision Oncology Summit, she helped shape the agenda, co-chairing and curating sessions that pushed forward the science and the conversation around where precision medicine works and doesn’t, and why it matters.

With her experience, Dr. Kummar has the insight to see promising ideas early and the rigor to evaluate whether they can truly advance care. At the Impact Pitch, she will be looking for ideas that are scientifically sound and meaningfully translatable.

Join Our Catalysts at SCHD26

Experience an educational showtime unlike any other at SCHD26, where cancer is the challenge, and innovative ideas swim in to take a bite. The catalysts, as well as the audience, will vote for which projects win the Binaytara Implementation Science Research Award, which provides up to $25,000 in research funding. This award supports investigators focused on improving the delivery of evidence-based cancer care in real-world settings.

The equity at stake here is not measured in investor percentages but in our commitment to minimize cancer care gaps and improve outcomes across diverse communities. So, who is ready to plunge into the world of cancer research and turn the tide on inequities worldwide?

To attend the Impact Pitch competition, register for SCHD26.