Crystal L. Mackall, MD, FAACR, recognized with the 2025 AACR-Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology

(Press-News.org) CHICAGO – The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)-Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology will be presented to Crystal L. Mackall, MD, Fellow of the AACR Academy, during the AACR Annual Meeting 2025, to be held April 25-30 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Mackall is the Ernest and Amelia Gallo Family Professor and Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Stanford University, the founding director of the Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy, and director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Stanford. She is being honored for her illustrious contributions to cancer immunotherapy, including enhancing CAR T-cell therapies, defining resistance mechanisms, advancing consensus treatment algorithms, and leading groundbreaking clinical trials that have fundamentally shaped the field. Mackall is internationally recognized for her seminal discovery of the role of IL-7 in T-cell homeostasis and her unwavering dedication to translational research, leading to the establishment of novel immunotherapeutic strategies for pediatric cancer patients.

The AACR-CRI Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology recognizes active scientists whose outstanding and innovative research has had a major impact on the cancer field. Since 2013, this prestigious award has served to celebrate the world’s leading cancer immunologists and inspire others to investigate the role of the immune system in cancer onset and progression

Early in her career, Mackall delineated fundamental mechanisms of human T-cell homeostasis and provided the scientific foundation for lymphodepletion, an essential step in the adoptive cell therapy cycle by which a patient’s immune cells are dramatically reduced prior to treatment, thereby increasing therapeutic efficacy. As a pioneer in the field of adoptive cell therapy, specifically CAR T-cell therapy, Mackall spearheaded one of the first clinical trials dedicated to evaluating CD19-targeted CAR T-cells in pediatric patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, demonstrating high response rates in those with advanced disease. Mackall has led the field in understanding why responses to CAR T-cell therapy are often short-lived, enabling her to develop novel strategies by which to enhance the durability of clinical responses. Mackall is also leading trailblazing research demonstrating, for the first time, activity of CAR T-cell therapy against solid tumors, work that is poised to broaden the impact of CAR T-cells beyond hematological malignancies.

“Dr. Mackall is a renowned physician-scientist whose fundamental research has had a far-reaching translational and clinical impact in cancer immunotherapy,” said Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR. “Her illustrious work has led to transformative advances for patients, especially children, with cancer. The AACR and CRI are proud to recognize Dr. Mackall with this prestigious award.”

"Dr. Mackall's pioneering work in CAR T-cell therapy has not only redefined the landscape of cancer immunotherapy but has also given hope to patients facing the toughest battles,” said Alicia Zhou, PhD, Chief Executive Officer at CRI. “Her relentless pursuit of innovation embodies the very spirit of the AACR-CRI Lloyd J. Old Award." 

Mackall has been a member of the AACR since 2002 and was elected as a Fellow of the AACR Academy in 2022. She was recently elected to the AACR’s Board of Directors for a 2025-2028 term. Mackall has also played a key role in guiding many of the AACR’s committees, association groups, and meetings. She is a current member of the AACR IO Ad Hoc Committee (2023-present) and the AACR Precision Combination Therapy Task Force (2021-present). She is also a current member of the CRI Clinical Innovator Review Committee (2022-present). She has served as a member (2013-2015) and chair (2022-2023) of the AACR-Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology Award Committee. She was also a member of the Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research Award Committee (2021-2022). She is a former member of the AACR Science Education and Career Advancement Committee (2018-2021), chair of the AACR Pediatric Cancer Working Group Steering Committee (2017-2019), and member of the AACR Cancer Immunology Working Group Steering Committee (2012-2014). She has also served as a cochair of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Pediatric Cancer (2019), the AACR Special Conference: Immune Cell Therapies for Cancer – Successes and Challenges of CAR T Cells and Other Forms of Adoptive Therapy (2019), member of the Fourth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference Program Committee (2018), and cochair of the AACR Annual Meeting Program Committee (2016-2017, 2018-2019).

In addition, Mackall has provided expert guidance to the AACR’s publications by serving as a member of the AACR Cancer Progress Report Steering Committee (2019), senior editor of the AACR journal Cancer Immunology Research (2019-2022), and member of the editorial board of the AACR journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (2007-2012).

Mackall’s work has been celebrated with numerous awards and honors. She was recognized with the AACR-St. Baldrick’s Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Pediatric Cancer Research (2021). She was part of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation-Stand Up To Cancer Pediatric Cancer Dream Team and was recognized with the AACR Team Science Award (2021). In addition, she has received the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center R. Lois Murphy Award (2024), the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy George Stamatoyannopoulos Award Lecture (2023), the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy Edward Netter Leadership Award (2023), the Sarcoma Foundation of America Nobility in Science Award (2022), American Society for Clinical Oncology Pediatric Oncology Award and Lecture (2021), the Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award and Lectureship (2021), the American Academy of Dermatology Lila and Murray Gruber Memorial Cancer Research Award and Lectureship (2018), the Top 10 Clinical Research Award for New CAR-T Cell Therapy for Relapsed Leukemia (2018), University of Colorado William Hathaway Visiting Professor Award (2015), the NIH Director's Award (2013), the NIH MERIT Award (2007), the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award (2004), the United States Public Health Service Commendation Medal (2003), the NCI Director's Award (2003), the NIH Distinguished Clinical Teacher Award (2000), and acknowledgement in the International Society of Pediatric Oncology Almanac of Women Leaders in Pediatric Oncology (2023), Endpoints News’ Top 20 Most Influential Women in Biopharma (2023), and the Best Doctors in America list (2006-2019).

In addition to being elected as a Fellow of the AACR Academy, Mackall was elected as a Fellow of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Academy of Immuno-oncology (2023). She is also an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (2022), the Association of American Physicians (2015), and the American Society for Clinical Investigation (2005).

She earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Akron and her medical degree at the Northeast Ohio Medical University, formerly Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine.

Mackall’s award lecture will be held on Tuesday, April 29, at 3 p.m. CT.

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