The AACR Annual Meeting 2026 will host a new session on communicating science to the public that seeks to provide answers to an age-old question: How can scientists help nonscientists understand complex research concepts and projects?
The Educational Session, “From Bench to Buzz: Making Your Research Resonate for More Funding and Attention,” will feature voices from both within and outside the cancer research enterprise. Chairing the session—held Saturday, April 18, 8-9:30 a.m. PT in Room 5 on the upper level of the convention center—is a longtime patient advocate and cancer survivor, Kristen Dahlgren, the chief executive officer and founder of the Cancer Vaccine Coalition.
“Attention is currency—and frankly, trust is being challenged. We are living in an era of misinformation, artificial intelligence (AI)-generated noise, political polarization, and shrinking research dollars. What do most Americans agree on, though? The need for scientific research,” said Dahlgren. “This session challenges researchers to move beyond jargon and ‘science speak’ and learn how to make their work compelling to funders, policymakers, patients, and the public,” she said. “It’s not about self-promotion. It’s about survival and scale.”
In addition to Dahlgren’s own presentation, the session will feature a cancer researcher and a patient advocate who will speak from their experiences in scientific communication.
Jaye Gardiner, PhD, of Tufts University, will deliver a talk centered on practical skills and methods for researchers looking to improve messaging on their work. Drawing from personal experience in crafting messaging for her own lab, Gardiner will focus on “clarity without compromise” that can summarize complicated research projects in an accessible, easily understood manner.
Offering an outsider’s perspective on an emerging technology, Saranne Rothberg—a cancer survivor and founder of The ComedyCures Foundation—will deliver a presentation focused on how AI tools can be put to effective use in refining nonspecialist-directed science communication. Rothberg’s own experience in incorporating narrative and humor with technical cancer research concepts will inform her approach to AI-amplified content, and she will give examples of how scientific messaging can be scaled and expanded with such tools while retaining both appeal and accuracy.
Dahlgren envisions a wide array of potential attendees to whom “From Bench to Buzz” would be of interest, including researchers in pursuit of funding, policy-focused scientists, and translational researchers who engage with the public—as well as “anyone tired of watching good science go unnoticed.” She struck an optimistic note in thinking of how scientists can stand to benefit from attending.
“I hope they leave empowered—knowing how important communication is and how to do it!” she said. “Even complex scientific concepts can be simplified into understandable messages with the right skills.”
For the most up-to-date information on session dates, times, and locations, check the Annual Meeting App and Online Itinerary Planner.
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Don’t miss the world’s premier cancer research event, April 17 to 22 in San Diego. In-person and virtual registration packages include access to live sessions, Q&A, networking, CME/MOC credits for select sessions within the Educational Program, and more.
