New discoveries from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute laboratories took center stage at the 2026 Accelerator Scientific Symposium, hosted by the Belfer Office for Dana-Farber Innovation. The event drew more than 200 researchers, clinicians, and industry partners and spotlighted the latest discoveries moving beyond the lab and into the clinic to improve care and outcomes for cancer patients.
“There is a lot of uncertainty right now, from shifting funding models to global change,” said Mary Tolikas, PhD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Dana-Farber. “But we’re incredibly excited about the technologies coming out of Dana-Farber. The Accelerator plays a key role in helping bridge the gap between the Institute’s discoveries and the clinic.”
Demystifying the Path to Company Formation
A panel discussion that followed featured experienced founders and investors who shared candid lessons from their own journeys. Speakers spoke about the importance of believing in their work, staying resilient through setbacks, building the right collaborations, and remaining focused on the ultimate goal of developing diagnostics and treatments that can save patients’ lives.
The symposium opened with an educational forum designed to help academic investigators better understand how discoveries move toward commercialization. Steven Neier, PhD, of Binney Street Capital, Dana‑Farber’s venture fund, led a practical session on advancing new technologies, outlining what investors look for, how early financing works, and the challenges scientists often face when transitioning from the lab to venture creation.
The Accelerator’s Role in Translation
The focus then shifted to the innovations being advanced through the Accelerator. Christiana Iyasere, MD, MBA, Senior Director of the Accelerator, described Dana-Farber’s long-standing commitment to pairing discovery with translation and the practical support investigators need to navigate that process.
She explained how the Accelerator provides targeted funding, strategic guidance, and access to expertise to help researchers move promising discoveries toward the clinic—whether through further validation, licensing, or company formation.
We’re incredibly excited about the technologies coming out of Dana-Farber. The Accelerator plays a key role in helping bridge the gap between the Institute’s discoveries and the clinic.”
Mary Tolikas, PhD, MBA, Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, Dana-Farber
From Fundamental Discovery to New Therapeutic Approaches
Benjamin Ebert, MD, PhD, President and CEO of Dana-Farber, spoke about the journey from the lab to the clinic, using his own work in molecular glue degraders to illustrate how fundamental discovery at Dana-Farber can open new paths for cancer therapy.
Ebert described his collaboration with Eric Fischer, PhD, which led to the creation of the Center for Protein Degradation at Dana-Farber. Through the Center, their teams worked to move the science beyond the laboratory by creating a shared framework that brings academic researchers and industry partners together to advance promising discoveries through early development. Their research showed that small molecules can harness the cell’s natural protein disposal system and redirect it to eliminate disease‑driving targets that were previously difficult to address with drugs.
“Progress depends on collaboration across institutions and across the country,” Ebert said, noting that this collaborative approach is central to Dana-Farber’s model for translating discovery into patient care.
Collaboration Driving Personalized Cancer Therapies
Catherine Wu, MD, offered another clear example of how collaboration can accelerate translation. Wu discussed the development of personalized cancer vaccines designed to train a patient’s immune system to recognize tumor‑specific neoantigens—small protein fragments created by cancer‑specific mutations.
The work grew out of partnerships within Dana-Farber and collaborations with investigators at the Broad Institute and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has since been licensed to Neon Therapeutics. Advances in genomics and next‑generation sequencing made this approach possible by allowing researchers to identify the unique mutational profile of each patient’s cancer and design therapies accordingly.
New Strategies Across Cancer Types
Other presentations highlighted progress across a range of disease areas. Wayne Marasco, MD, PhD, shared advances in armored CAR T cell therapies for renal cell carcinoma. These engineered immune cells are designed not only to recognize cancer, but also to carry added features that help them persist and function within the tumor microenvironment.
Margaret Shipp, MD, followed with work in diffuse large B‑cell lymphoma, showing how dividing the disease into molecular subtypes can guide treatment decisions and lead to better patient outcomes.
Together, the talks pointed to a broader shift in cancer care, moving away from standardized treatments and toward more personalized approaches.
Building the Infrastructure for Translation
The day concluded with a panel focused on the infrastructure that supports translational research at Dana-Farber, including shared platforms for immunotherapy development, chemical biology, and cell engineering. Panelists emphasized that successful translation rarely hinges on a single breakthrough. Instead, it requires coordinated expertise, access to shared resources, and sustained collaboration within and beyond the Institute.
Turning Innovation into Real‑World Impact
Across the symposium, a consistent message emerged: innovation at Dana-Farber does not stop at the lab bench. It extends through company formation, partnerships with industry, and the deliberate de‑risking of technologies so they can ultimately reach patients. The event made that process visible, showcasing both the science reshaping cancer care and the strategies that help turn discovery into real‑world impact.
“While many investigators are understandably passionate about their technologies,” Tolikas said, “one of the things that makes Dana-Farber unique is that people here are deeply motivated by overcoming clinical problems—and by finding ways to bring their solutions to the patients who need them.”