NRG Oncology Selects Health Care Access (HCA) Fellows for 2026

01/13/2026

NRG Oncology Selects Health Care Access (HCA) Fellows for 2026

NRG Oncology has recently named three Health Care Access (HCA) Fellows for 2026, including Dr. Stephanie Cham, Dr. Michelle Lightfoot, and Dr. Crystal Seldon Taswell.

NRG’s HCA Fellowship Program was established by Joan Walker, MD, of the University of Oklahoma and an NRG NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Principal Investigator, to train selected early-stage investigators in the NRG Oncology system by means of a structured mentorship experience. The program has an emphasis on the recruitment of researchers from underrepresented groups. Selected fellows receive an award of $50,000 for two years with the goal of developing innovative research projects that will lead to future improvements in cancer care with a focus on health access for rural, elderly, and special needs populations.

This year, our three applicants were able to be selected because of the generosity of donations from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Inc., and West Valley Ovarian Cancer Alliance (WVOCA).

Stephanie Cham, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and is the recipient of the 2026 NRG HCA Fellowship funded by WVOCA. Dr. Cham’s work focuses on differences in access to and quality of gynecologic cancer care, geriatrics, and improving outcomes for older adults and patients with complex needs. She has led large database studies on short- and long-term surgical outcomes, frailty, and postoperative risks in ovarian cancer, producing influential tools such as a risk-calculator for adverse perioperative outcomes. Dr. Cham’s research and clinical trial experience spans investigator-initiated studies, early-phase drug development, and novel immunomodulatory therapies for recurrent ovarian cancer. Dr. Cham was appointed to the 2025 NIA Clin-STAR Annual Meeting Program Committee as well as the 2024 Society for Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting Program Committee. She received the UCSF Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Mentor Award in 2024 and was a 2024 SGO/GOG Foundation BRIDGES 2.0 Scholar and 2024 UCSF Pepper Center Research Education Core Scholar. She is also an active member of multiple national committees shaping gynecologic oncology research. At NRG Oncology, Dr. Cham is a member of the NRG Health Care Access Committee Older Adult Special Interest Group.

Michelle Lightfoot, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Gynecologic Oncology at the New York University Langone Health Laura and Issac Perlmutter Cancer Center (NYU Langone) and is the recipient of the 2026 NRG HCA Fellowship funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc. Dr. Lightfoot’s career is dedicated to advancing gynecologic oncology through improving cancer care delivery, accessible clinical trial design, and biomarker-driven strategies for precision cancer care. Since starting at NYU Langone, she has actively worked to expand access to clinical trials and improve cancer care delivery, including presenting work on therapeutic cancer trials at her institution and publishing on disparities in gynecologic cancer trial access. She has also led an effort to develop a departmental award examining gaps in cervical cancer care delivery using mixed-methods research and co-authored guidelines for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. Dr. Lightfoot’s commitment to health equity began with global and community-based initiatives, including work in India, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. During her residency, she led a national study of barriers to global cancer care delivery among gynecologic oncologists. Dr. Lightfoot received the 2024-2026 Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award. At NRG Oncology, Dr. Lightfoot is the site Principal Investigator for GOG-3095 at NYU Langone and is working with her mentor, Dr. Bhavanna Pothuri to develop future NRG trial concepts.

Crystal Seldon Taswell, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and is the recipient of the 2026 NRG HCA Fellowship funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Dr. Seldon Taswell’s clinical focus is on breast and musculoskeletal tumors, complemented by basic science research into genetic alterations predictive of poor outcomes in certain cancers. A significant portion of her research centers on health care access and the sociopsychological factors impacting patient outcomes. She has investigated topics such as the genomic profile of advanced prostate cancer, localizing prostate cancer disparities, and the consequences of the Dobbs ruling on radiation oncology care. Dr. Seldon Taswell currently serves in several leadership roles including Faculty President of the Society of Black Physicians and Scientists, Associate Program Director of the Radiation Oncology Residency Program at the University of Miami Jackson Memorial Hospital, Director of the Committee of Belonging and Inclusive Excellence in the Department of Radiation at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Senior Advisory Committee Member and Executive Committee Chair for the Society of Women in Radiation Oncology. At NRG Oncology, Dr. Seldon Taswell is a member of the Breast Cancer General Committee, the Early Career Mentorship Subcommittee, Health Care Access Committee, and the Radiation Oncology Committee.

NRG Oncology is eager to engage these new fellows within our organization and looks forward to the contributions that stem from their involvement in this program. If you would like to donate the NRG HCA Fellowship Program, please visit nrgoncology.org/HealthCareAccessFellowship.