Kenneth M. Murphy, MD, PhD, has been named the recipient of the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)-Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology, according to an announcement on Apr. 14.
The award recognizes scientists whose research has made a significant impact on understanding cancer and advancing new therapies. Murphy is the Eugene Opie First Centennial Professor in pathology and immunology at WashU Medicine and conducts research at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine.
Murphy will be honored during the AACR Annual Meeting 2026, scheduled for April 17-22 in San Diego. Margaret Foti, PhD, MD, chief executive officer of the AACR said, “Dr. Murphy is an extraordinary and innovative immunologist. His discoveries have laid crucial groundwork for new advances in the treatment of cancer, thereby extending and saving countless lives. The AACR and CRI are thrilled to present him with this well-deserved award for enabling significant progress in the field of cancer immunology.”
Murphy’s work has focused on how dendritic cells develop specialized roles within immune responses by identifying genetic programs that guide their maturation from immature cells into specific types that help activate killer T cells targeting infected or cancerous cells. Alicia Zhou, PhD, chief executive officer at CRI said: “The Lloyd J. Old Award honors scientists whose work doesn’t just advance a field — it reshapes how we understand biology at its core… Dr. Murphy’s discoveries have defined the rules by which dendritic cells orchestrate immune responses, providing a foundation that continues to inform how we design the next generation of cancer immunotherapies.”
Murphy is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has received previous honors such as the CRI William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic Immunology.
Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital was founded in 1999 and is located in Saint Louis, Missouri; its current president is Timothy Eberlein according to available information.
Murphy will deliver his award lecture titled “DC subsets: Why so much specialization?” on April 21 during the annual meeting.
