Researchers from OHSU and Fox Chase win $50,000 Binaytara Lung Cancer Research Awards at 2026 Seattle Lung Cancer Conference

Dr. Parth Desai of Fox Chase Cancer Center and Dr. Rajat Thawani of OHSU Knight Cancer Institute selected through the conference's Impact Pitch competition

Dr. Parth Desai of Fox Chase Cancer Center and Dr. Rajat Thawani of the Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University have each been awarded $50,000 to advance their research through the 2026 Binaytara Lung Cancer Research Awards.

The winners were announced Oct. 10 at the close of the 2026 Seattle Lung Cancer Conference, a two-day meeting that brought together lung cancer clinicians and researchers from leading cancer centers across the country. The conference was co-chaired by Dr. Siddhartha Devarakonda of Providence/Swedish Cancer Institute and Dr. Deng Lei of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and organized by Binaytara, a global oncology nonprofit that hosts about 60 continuing medical education conferences annually in the United States.

A blood test to predict who will benefit from a new lung cancer immunotherapy

Dr. Desai pitched “Tracking and Targeting Tumor-State Plasticity During DLL3 T-Cell Engager Therapy in Small Cell Lung Cancer”.

Small cell lung cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of lung cancer, and while a promising new type of immunotherapy can help some patients whose cancer has returned, only about one in three benefit, and doctors currently have no reliable way to know in advance who will. Dr. Desai’s project aims to develop a simple blood test that reads signals released by tumors throughout the body, which could help doctors predict who will respond to treatment, catch early signs that the cancer is becoming resistant, and spare patients repeated invasive biopsies.

“I am honored to receive the Binaytara Lung Cancer Research Award and grateful for Binaytara’s support,” said Dr. Desai. “I loved the shark-tank style of research presentation and the constructive dynamic feedback from the "sharks of oncology" and made some great new and hopefully long-lasting connections! As a physician-scientist, my research is driven by the challenges my patients face every day. This funding will support our efforts to bring precision-guided care to patients with small cell lung cancer—a disease for which tailoring treatment to each tumor’s unique biology remains a largely unrealized opportunity. I am also grateful to my mentors and colleagues at Fox Chase Cancer Center, whose collaboration makes this work possible.”

“Congratulations, Parth, on this award,” said Dr. Desai’s mentor, Hossein Borghaei, DO, MS. “Thank you to Binaytara for this award and for recognizing the importance of support for projects like this.”

Reviving failed lung cancer treatments for the right patients

Dr. Thawani pitched “Clonal Hematopoiesis Genotype as a Selection Biomarker for Combination Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer.”

Most patients with advanced lung cancer now receive immunotherapy, but most do not see lasting benefit, and doctors choose treatment based only on the tumor without considering the patient’s own immune system. Dr. Thawani is studying whether common age-related genetic changes in a patient’s blood cells, which can be detected with a routine blood test, can show which patients would benefit from adding existing drugs to immunotherapy, potentially giving a second chance to treatments that failed in earlier trials because those trials didn’t target the right patients.

Dr. Thawani’s mentor at OHSU and Knight Cancer Institute, Megan Burger, PhD. "We are very excited for this Binaytara award to open up a new strategy of using mutations in immune cells to determine what immunotherapy will work best for patients."

Empowering future leaders in cancer care

Both awardees will present the progress and impact of their research at next year’s Seattle Lung Cancer Conference.

“Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death, and progress depends on giving talented investigators the resources to test bold ideas,” said Dr. Binay Shah, president and co-founder of Binaytara and conference director. “Dr. Desai and Dr. Thawani brought forward research concepts with real potential to change how we care for patients. Providing these research awards is about empowering future leaders in cancer care. These awards can have significant impact over time.”

The awards were decided through the Impact Pitch, a featured session in which early-career investigators present their research for live peer review on stage. Three senior cancer researchers served as the judges, whom Binaytara gives the moniker Catalyst. The three Catalysts were: Dr. Aadel Chaudhuri of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN; Dr. Sylvia Lee of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; and Dr. Alexander Spira of Virginia Cancer Specialists Research Institute. Conference co-chair Dr. Siddhartha Devarakonda moderated the session.

The Impact Pitch is designed to surface emerging ideas in lung cancer research and give early-career investigators direct feedback from experienced experts. The other three finalists were Zhaohui Arter, MD from the University of California, Irvine; Chendi Li, PhD from Massachusetts General Hospital; and Olivia Fankuchen, MD from Weill Cornell Medicine.

About the 2026 Seattle Lung Cancer Conference

The Seattle Lung Cancer Conference is an annual, CME-accredited multidisciplinary educational activity that gives health care professionals current, evidence-based updates in the diagnosis, management and treatment of lung cancer. The 2026 meeting took place Oct. 9-10 and covered the full continuum of care, from early detection and molecular diagnostics to systemic therapy and supportive care.

More than 40 faculty members from institutions including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic and Huntsman Cancer Institute led sessions on:

• Emerging approaches in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and other diagnostic strategies
• The evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in oncology care
• Evidence-based comparisons of treatment strategies, including adjuvant versus neoadjuvant therapy, treatment sequencing, and combination versus single-agent approaches
• Biomarker-driven therapies
• Current data in clinical trials, drug development and precision oncology
• Multidisciplinary management of treatment-related toxicities and supportive care needs

Formats included debates on controversial topics, didactic presentations, case-based discussions, and interactive sessions, along with moderated discussions. The program was designed for medical oncologists, pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, radiation oncologists, advanced practice providers, oncology and research nurses, patient navigators and researchers caring for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and mesothelioma.

Learning objectives prepared participants to optimize treatment selection and sequencing, evaluate emerging diagnostics such as ctDNA, integrate new therapies including antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific agents into clinical decisions, manage treatment-related toxicities, and assess advances in clinical trials and drug development.

About Binaytara

Binaytara is a global oncology nonprofit working to minimize cancer health disparities, on the principle that where you live should not decide whether you survive cancer. In the United States it is one of the largest providers of CME-accredited hematology and oncology education, with conferences held largely in smaller markets where community oncologists have fewer chances to hear new evidence. Revenue from its education programs funds cancer screening and care in Janakpur, Nepal, where Binaytara is building a comprehensive cancer hospital, and research into how proven cancer care reaches underserved communities. Founded in 2007 by Dr. Binay Shah and Tara Shah, Binaytara is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. binaytara.org

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