East Montgomery Times

Shelley L. Berger, PhD, FAACR, has been honored by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) with the 2025 AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Lectureship. Berger holds the position of Daniel S. Och University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, with roles in both the Perelman School of Medicine and the School of Arts & Sciences.

The AACR Lectureship acknowledges a scientist for their contributions to cancer research and their efforts in advancing women in science. This year’s award will be presented at the AACR Annual Meeting from April 25-30 in Chicago.

Berger is the founder and director of the Penn Epigenetics Institute and serves as co-director of the Tumor Biology Program at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center (ACC). Her research spans genetics, epigenetics, genomics, and cell biology.

“Dr. Berger’s impact is due in part to her exceptional ability to galvanize groups for trailblazing collaborative research, as she has done in epigenetics and more recently in cancer immunology,” noted Robert Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, director of the ACC. “We are deeply impressed by her commitment to fostering the careers of women faculty and trainees, both here at Penn and at the national level.”

Berger’s research in cancer epigenetics includes significant discoveries about histone modifications and transcription factors related to cancer, aging, and T cell function. Her work has informed key aspects of cancer biology and therapeutic strategies.

Her leadership in mentoring future scientists and advocating for diversity in research institutions is also recognized. She mentors a lab with 20 trainees and has previously guided many to careers in academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and beyond.

An elected member of several prestigious academies, Berger has published 250 papers in high-impact journals such as Nature, Science, and Cell. Her award lecture is scheduled for April 29 at 5 p.m. CT.