ACS Honors Virginia Scientist with the Researcher of the Year Award

The American Cancer Society honors one outstanding individual with the 2021 Researcher of the Year Award, a national honor for leadership and innovation in cancer research. The 2021 recipient is Roger T. Anderson, PhD from Charlottesville, VA.

“Dr. Anderson’s contribution to improving health and well-being is an important part of his daily work and has been for the life of his career in population health sciences” said Annika Dean, cancer control strategic partnerships manager.

The Researcher of the Year Award recognizes an investigator who has benefitted from an American Cancer Society extramural grant and has made remarkable advances in cancer research. A selection committee reviews each nomination, and one winner is selected nationwide.

Roger T. Anderson, PhD is a faculty member of the University of Virginia, an esteemed researcher, and champion for the American Cancer Society. He continually drives the conversation to address quality of life and access to care through his work. In 2019, Dr. Anderson was awarded an ACS pay-if grant of over $1,000,000. This funding supports his work in the rural Appalachia geography. He is investigating breast cancer screening policies and practice at mammography sites, making a most direct impact on access to care for unserved population. Additionally, Dr. Anderson was selected to receive the ACS and Flatiron Health 2021 “Real-World Data Impact Award.” This award is funding Dr. Anderson’s work examining patterns of care related to tumor, patient and demographic characteristics focused on the use of CDK4/6i for hormone-receptor-positive patients with metastatic breast cancer. As the associate director for population sciences, co-leader for cancer control and population health research, and professor of public health sciences, Dr. Anderson is a trusted member of the UVA ACS communities.

Dr. Anderson is always generous to provide an overview and update of his ACS funded research. He has provided his local American Cancer Society team with guidance for the planning of the ACS Virginia Breast Health Equity Summits. He spoke as a panelist in the first annual event in 2020, sharing a phenomenal perspective to his work and investigating breast health equity and access to care in rural Appalachia. In 2021, Dr. Anderson provided valuable feedback and direction to support the planning of the second annual VA BHES. His guidance helped tailor the event and recruit the best panelist to continue the health equity conversation with a focus on access to screening and navigation resources from a rural and urban, safety net perspective.

About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is on a mission to free the world from cancer. We invest in lifesaving research, provide 24/7 information and support, and work to ensure that individuals in every community have access to cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. For more information, visit cancer.org.