Letter from the President

Over the course of 2023, the SITC family dedicated energy and expertise to a set of incredibly strategic and impactful initiatives in support of our mission: to improve cancer patient outcomes by advancing the science, development and application of cancer immunology and immunotherapy. We continue to position ourselves for success by living and working according to our core values of interaction and integration, innovation, translation, diversity and inclusion, and leadership in the field every day.

As described in this Year in Review, 2023 was a year of accomplishments for SITC. We sought, challenged, and advanced multiple areas of groundbreaking science from investigating immune excluded tumors, to exploring opportunities in premalignant immunity, to fostering our understanding of the impact of myeloid cells on tumor immunity. In addition, SITC pushed forward many other initiatives including the formation of two new, relevant committees: the Cell Therapy Committee and the Biotech Committee.

We made strides in breaking down barriers to educational programming and membership benefits by creating cost-effective opportunities for membership and programming for those who reside in low- and lower-middle income economies. Additionally, SITC elevated diversity, equity, and inclusion as a core value of our strategic plan, which weaves our core values through everything we do to achieve our mission.

Within these robust initiatives, we ensured our wholehearted support of early career investigators through awards, fellowships and other opportunities. Most uniquely, SITC’s journal, the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), pioneered a successful peer review mentorship program for early career professionals. Signifying the strength of these initiatives and the future of our field, our early career membership continues to grow and prosper.

Our community came together during the SITC 2023 Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs and collectively we set our sights on 100 approvals of unique cancer IO agents over the next ten years. While an ambitious goal, seeing the world class science at the Annual Meeting, networking with the next generation of leaders in our field, and developing strategic initiatives with the SITC Board of Directors, I’m confident we will achieve 100 approvals in the next decade. I invite you to join us on this journey in 2024 through our AI & IO webinar series, a special series in JITC on opportunities for the field, and a summit on immunomodulation of ADCs. These are just a few examples of the exciting programming we have planned for 2024, all designed to catalyze and accelerate progress in the field.

As I reflect on 2023, I am honored to be part of a society that hold patients at its center, lifts the next generation, and collectively commits to promising and challenging goals to advance the science and practice of cancer immunotherapy. I hope you enjoy the 2023 Year in Review and are inspired to join and volunteer with SITC as we work toward our ultimate vision of creating a cancer-free world for everyone.

Sincerely,