A “consummate mentor,” dedicated to bolstering the careers of younger investigators in cancer medicine, Jordan D. Berlin, MD, has been named this year’s recipient of the Remarkable Mentor in Oncology Award from the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN). 

Task Force on Career Advancement Chair Barbara A. Burtness, MD, presented the award on May 6 during the General Session of the Spring 2026 Group Meeting in Baltimore. In announcing this year’s honoree, Dr. Burtness noted that the nominations received for Dr. Berlin “spoke to the personalized attention he gives to junior faculty,” helping them  navigate a research environment that can sometimes seem overwhelming.

“The Remarkable Mentor in Oncology,” she continued, “is one of our most prestigious awards at ECOG-ACRIN, as it recognizes one of the activities that is at the beating heart of the group: investigators who use the opportunities ECOG-ACRIN offers to mentor individuals—many of whom aren’t from their own institutions—to help develop the research workforce that has been the backbone of this group for a long time.”

Dr. Berlin is a professor of medicine and director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. He also serves as associate director of clinical research at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, where he is a practicing medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. He has a special research interest in drug development, focusing on early-phase trials and translating novel laboratory findings into clinical research. He was previously an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin; at both Wisconsin and at Vanderbilt, “his track record of sponsorship and creating opportunities for mentees has led trainees to seek him out year after year,” noted one of his nominators for the award.

Well-known among GI oncologists as an “outspoken advocate for junior faculty,” Dr. Berlin "continues to create and foster opportunities for career development for trainees and early- and mid-career investigators,” she continued.

In 2004, Dr. Berlin received another of ECOG-ACRIN’s highest distinctions: the Young Investigator Award. In his current role as chair of the ECOG-ACRIN Gastrointestinal Cancer Committee, another nominator noted how Dr. Berlin ensures that leadership positions within the committee are occupied by mid-career faculty rather than more senior investigators:

“Dr. Berlin has created a culture within the committee that fosters career development,” encouraging more senior members to use their experience to mentor and promote the budding careers of the junior committee members. “He has taught me an incalculable amount about leadership and collaboration. His guidance has undoubtedly helped to shape my career, as he has shaped so many others.”

As part of the honor, Dr. Berlin is invited to discuss his career and reflections on mentoring at the ECOG-ACRIN Fall 2026 Group Meeting (October 20-22 in Philadelphia).

Nominations for the Remarkable Mentor in Oncology Award are open for submission from early February to early March each year by members of the Executive Committee, Principal Investigator Committee, and the Task Force on Career Advancement.