Margaret Foti, PhD
Distinguished Public Service Award

Margaret Foti, PhD, is the chief executive officer of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Dr. Foti, a native of Philadelphia, has dedicated her professional career to cancer research and the AACR. During her tenure, AACR membership has grown to more than 26,000 scientists in more than 70 countries.

She joined AACR as an editorial assistant for the journal, Cancer Research, and was quickly promoted to managing editor. In 1982, she was appointed executive director and chief executive officer of AACR.

Dr. Foti has spearheaded the launch of five AACR journals: Clinical Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Prevention Research and CR, a magazine for survivors, patient advocates, their families, and professionals in the cancer field.

Dr. Foti has served as a board member, and later as president, of the National Coalition for Cancer Research (NCCR); member of the Executive Committee of the Friends of Cancer Research (FOCR); former board member of the Translational Genomics Institute (TGen); and board member of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR). She has also served as President of the Council of Science Editors and of the Society for Scholarly Publishing and has served in various capacities for the International Federation of Science Editors, General Motors Cancer Research Foundation, the European Life Science Editors Association, the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association, among others.