CHICAGO – The 2025 AACR-Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research will be presented to William N. Hait, MD, PhD, 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.
Hait served as the global head of Janssen Research and Development and was the executive vice president, chief of external innovation, and medical safety and global public health officer at Johnson & Johnson prior to his retirement in 2024. He is being recognized with this award for his extensive contributions to cancer pharmacology, drug discovery, and precision medicine, including early recognition of adverse signal transduction events capable of driving malignant cell growth and advancements in the development of targeted therapies. His research on cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, EF-2 kinase, and multidrug resistance mechanisms laid the foundation for transformative cancer treatments. As a quintessential leader in both academia and industry, Hait developed New Jersey's first and only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute, and spearheaded the development of oncology drugs that have improved outcomes for millions of cancer patients. His leadership and dedication to cancer research have profoundly shaped the field, inspired countless generations of scientists, and have propelled significant innovation in the design and development of novel cancer treatments.
The AACR-Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research was established in 2007 in honor of Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), chief executive officer of the AACR, for her exemplary leadership of the AACR, and for her sustained, extraordinary dedication to the conquest of cancer through research, scholarly publications, communication, collaborations, education and training, fundraising for cancer research, and science policy. This award is presented annually to an individual whose leadership and extraordinary achievements in cancer research have made a major impact in the field.
Hait was one of the first to recognize the importance of signal transduction in cancer biology. Among his many impactful scientific contributions are the selective inhibition of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase, identification, cloning, and functional characterization of the EF-2 kinase, which led to his work involving the development of the first EF-2 kinase inhibitors. In subsequent research, he uncovered the impact of p53 mutations on chemotherapy efficacy and elucidated the mechanism underlying severe reactions to doxorubicin. As a leader in the pharmaceutical industry, Hait applied his background in pharmacology and cancer medicine to oversee the development of more than 20 major pharmaceuticals, including amivantamab (Rybrevant), a bispecific antibody approved as a first-line treatment for lung cancer. Hait and his team have also focused on identifying cutting-edge early innovations to eliminate disease through prevention, interception, and treatment.
“Dr. Hait is an internationally renowned physician-scientist whose distinguished and impactful research has revolutionized cancer science and medicine for the benefit of countless patients,” said Foti. “The AACR is deeply grateful for his many years of wise counsel and steady leadership during his time as AACR President and Treasurer, which have been invaluable in guiding the organization to where it is today. I am thrilled that the selection committee has chosen Dr. Hait for this award, as he is richly deserving of this accolade.”
Hait has been a member of the AACR since 1986 and was elected a Fellow of the AACR Academy in 2013. Throughout his time as an AACR member, Hait’s unwavering dedication and remarkable leadership have had a significant impact on the organization, highlighted by his service as AACR President from 2007 to 2008. During his tenure, he launched the AACR’s Translational Cancer Medicine series of Special Conferences and cochaired the steering committee for the Cancer Biomarkers Collaborative (2007-2010), a program that united the AACR, NCI, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He was later elected Treasurer of the AACR Board of Directors in 2010, a role that he has held with distinction and will hold until the AACR Business Meeting at this year’s AACR Annual Meeting.
Notably, he has provided exceptional guidance to many of the AACR’s committees and association groups, including but not limited to serving as cochair of the AACR Oncology Industry Partnering Event: From Cancer Discoveries to Patients (2024, 2025), scientific committee cochair (2006) and organizing committee cochair (2007, 2008) of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, member of the AACR New Jersey State Legislative Committee (1997-2007), member of the AACR Program Committee (1996, 2000), chair of the AACR Clinical Translational Cancer Research Committee (1995-2000), member of the AACR Annual Meeting Education Committee (1995), and member of the AACR Membership Committee (1990-1992). Further, Hait has contributed extensively to the AACR’s journals, serving as special advisor to the editor-in-chief for Cancer Prevention Research (2014-present), editor-in-chief of Clinical Cancer Research (2005-2007), and member of the editorial boards for Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and Cancer Research.
His scientific contributions have earned him numerous awards and honors, most notably the Johnson & Johnson Bill Hait Award for Oncology Evidence Generation (2024), the BioNJ Dr. Sol J. Barer Award for Vision, Innovation and Leadership (2019), recognition as a Mass General Cancer Center “the one hundred” honoree (2015), the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Corporate Leadership Award (2014), the Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Award (2006), the American Jewish Congress Maimonides Award (2003), the Community Leaders of Distinction Award (2001), the Thomas Edison Award of Excellence (2000), New Jersey Medicine’s Person of the Year (1998), and acknowledgment in New York Magazine’s Best Doctors (2003, 2004) and America’s Top Doctors: New York Metro Area (2001, 2002, 2003). Further, Hait was elected as a member of the American Clinical and Climatological Association (2005) and the American Society of Clinical Investigation in 1993.
He earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania and his medical and doctoral degrees at the Medical College of Pennsylvania.
Hait’s award lecture will be held on Monday, April 28, at 4:15 p.m. CT.