Through its Young Investigator Program and other initiatives, SOHO has expanded its support for early-career clinicians beyond the Annual Meeting.
Throughout its 14-year history, the Society of Hematologic Oncology (SOHO) has made the development of early-career clinician scientists one of its highest priorities. Each year, SOHO awards travel scholarships to budding early-career physicians and researchers to attend the SOHO Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas, to present their research.
The awards are made possible through the Young Investigator Program and include travel support, complimentary meeting registration, hotel accommodations, meals, and dedicated networking opportunities with distinguished faculty from the top cancer centers.
For Janet M. Cesak, MBA, BS, SOHO executive director and one of the founding members of the society, the program is among the most significant missions of the society.
“The overall goal of the society is to improve outcomes for patients with blood cancers,” Cesak said. “What we would like to see, if it is at all possible, is a potential cure for every single patient diagnosed with a blood cancer. Since we have the brightest minds, from all over the world, coming together and producing novel ideas and potential solutions, we hope that we can reach that goal together, faster.”
Throughout the meeting, young investigators participate in scientific sessions and networking events, including the Young Investigator luncheon, where they meet directly with internationally recognized faculty members.
“They’re meeting with the top global experts who are working with cutting-edge treatments,” Cesak said. “If there’s a good fit, young investigators may find a potential opportunity at a top institution. Making that kind of connection could change the entire course of their careers.”
Cesak said these conversations that happen at the SOHO Annual Meeting are difficult to have at larger meetings.
“It gives them opportunities that are unlikely elsewhere” she said. “Who gets to sit down at lunch with the top leaders in the hematology field when you’re unknown and still in training? They get to do that at SOHO.”
SOHO expanded its educational initiatives through the Exchange for Advanced Global Learning and Education (EAGLE) Program, launched in 2025 under the leadership of past SOHO President Phillip Scheinberg, MD, PhD. The program connects hematologic oncology fellows and early-career physicians with leading academic centers for short-term educational experiences with the goal of providing additional opportunities for specialized training and international collaboration.
“We want this to be a transformative experience,” Dr. Scheinberg said. “This is about creating connections that will benefit participants throughout their careers.”
Continuous Learning Collaborative
The Continuous Learning Collaborative was a multiphase educational pilot developed as a collaboration between SOHO and the Medical Learning Institute. The program focused on improving the treatment of relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma.
The first phase began in summer 2025 with a cohort of 25 young investigators. Participants were within 10 years of entering practice and worked in community oncology or smaller academic settings. They contributed information about their treatment approaches through de-identified patient records, surveys and case-based exercises. The findings were used to identify areas of uncertainty and shape the program’s live educational component.
The initiative addressed an important need as the number of therapies available for relapsed or refractory CLL and SLL continued to grow. Clinicians increasingly faced questions about how to select and sequence treatments after previous therapies stopped working or caused unacceptable side effects. The program examined how clinicians approached these decisions and where additional guidance could help strengthen care.
A second phase took place during the 2025 SOHO Annual Meeting. Unlike the initial phase, the 90-minute live intensive was open to all meeting attendees, including clinicians who had been in practice for more than 15 years. Participants worked through patient cases, discussed treatment challenges, and received feedback from faculty experts.
The pilot found that structured education could help clinicians apply current evidence to treatment decisions. Participants reported plans to improve their use of clinical guidelines and make treatment choices based on individual patient needs.
One participant commented, “It will impact not only my practice but first of all the life of the patients.”
50/50 Fellowship Attendance Match
Additionally, in 2026 SOHO President John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD, launched the 50/50 Fellowship Attendance Match, a junior faculty outreach initiative that provides matching support to fellowship programs so more early career investigators can attend the SOHO Annual Meeting.
“We’re introducing a new program this year that provides one-for-one support to bring fellows and junior faculty to the meeting,” Dr. DiPersio said. “The society is supporting new blood coming to the meeting, and I’m looking forward to seeing more young investigators take part in the discussions.”
Many early career investigators have praised the SOHO Annual Meeting as being among the most valuable educational experiences of their training because of its focused clinical content and the access they gain to the top physician-scientists in the field.
“This is a great opportunity for fellows to come to a practical meeting,” said Kristin Gusack, deputy director at SOHO. “SOHO is invested in the next generation of clinical hematologists. We hear fellows saying this is a must-attend meeting, and they want to attend every year because of the educational and networking opportunities it provides to them.”
The SOHO Young Investigator Program supports aspiring hematologic oncologists to attend the Annual Meeting in Houston and provides the opportunity to meet with leaders in the field. Read more about the program.
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