What to Know Before Heading to the AACR Annual Meeting 2025

April 9, 2025 by

As you prepare to blow into the Windy City for the AACR Annual Meeting 2025, April 25-30, or attend virtually, knowing a few things in advance may help you get the most out of this year’s meeting. With more than 7,000 proffered abstracts, over 65 Educational Sessions and Methods Workshops, six Plenary Sessions, four Clinical Trial Plenary Sessions, over 50 Major Symposia, several other sessions, many networking opportunities, and so much more, you will have a lot to choose from as you gather at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago or check out the meeting from afar on the virtual meeting platform. 

There’s a lot happening at the AACR Annual Meeting, so take some time to plan ahead.

What to Know About the Scientific Program 

The theme of the AACR Annual Meeting 2025 meeting is “Unifying Cancer Science and Medicine: A Continuum of Innovation for Impact,” which was chosen by Program Chairs AACR President-Elect Lillian L. Siu, MD, FAACR, and Matthew G. Vander Heiden, MD, PhD, in collaboration with AACR President Patricia M. LoRusso, DO, PhD (hc), FAACR, to represent the interconnectedness of research as insights travel from the bench to the clinic and back to the bench in an effort to make progress for patients. 

“The agenda of this year’s meeting really is exciting in a sense that it has very interesting presentations on new discoveries on the bench, and then we will also hear on the other side of the spectrum about practice-changing phase III trials,” said Siu, a senior medical oncologist, director of the Phase I Clinical Trials Program, BMO Chair in Precision Cancer Genomics, and codirector of the Bras and Family Drug Development Program at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network.  

Lillian L. Siu, MD, FAACR

Siu and Vander Heiden said attendees can expect to hear about important breakthroughs in the use of artificial intelligence and other new technologies; improvements in early detection, including through liquid biopsies; insights into early-onset cancers; advances being made in hematological malignancies; as well as exciting clinical trial results and a plethora of other topics. 

“The AACR Annual Meeting is one of the few meetings out there where one really has the opportunity to learn about all aspects of cancer research, from basic discoveries through to groundbreaking clinical trials, survivorship, epidemiology—really all aspects of things that go into the complexity that is cancer science and cancer medicine,” said Vander Heiden, the director of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an instructor of medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  

Siu added that the expansiveness of this year’s scientific program is evident in the six Plenary Sessions, which will cover novel mechanisms influencing cancer evolution, technologies driving advances in research, new ways to target the cancer ecosystem, opportunities in predictive oncology, and more. 

Attendees can start scoping out what sessions are of most interest to them via the Online Itinerary Planner or using the AACR Annual Meeting App, both of which contain the full text of all proffered abstracts. A PDF of the Proceedings of the AACR Annual Meeting containing all regular proffered abstracts (clinical trials and late-breaking abstracts are not included) will also be available to download on April 21.   

What to Know About the Educational Program 

The Educational Program kicks off at 3 p.m. CT on Friday, April 25, and continues all day on Saturday, April 26. To attend any of the Educational Sessions and Methods Workshops, attendees must purchase an Educational Program Pass ($50 for members and $95 for nonmembers). Registration can be amended to add this pass until April 25. This program is meant to provide attendees with an opportunity to expand their knowledge base in new and exciting fields. 

Matthew G. Vander Heiden, MD, PhD

“We tried to build an Educational Program that broadly covers the interests of attendees, who we hope will take advantage and get out of their comfort zone a little bit and learn about another field that they’re curious about or that might be related to their research, and look for ways to bring in new concepts and ideas,” said Vander Heiden, who is also the chair of the Education Committee. 

Among the topics included this year are understanding the complexities of cancer genomics, taming the tumor-immune microenvironment, studying social determinants of health, improving the care of those with rare cancers, and using AACR Project GENIE® to overcome challenges with aggregating data.  

What to Know About Attending In Person or Virtually 

Both in-person and virtual registration options include access to the virtual meeting platform where sessions can be livestreamed and are available for on-demand viewing through October 2025. This does not include ancillary events such as Professional Development Sessions, Town Halls, or Satellite Educational Symposia, and any sessions that are held in hotels will not be streamed.  

This year, all posters accepted for presentation in the Exhibit Hall will also be available for viewing as an e-poster on the virtual meeting platform starting on April 25. Registered attendees can email their questions or comments to poster presenters through the program. The e-posters will remain on the platform through October 2025.  

What to Know About Other Events and Opportunities 

The 2025 AACR Runners for Research 5K Run/Walk is a great way to experience Chicago as runners or walkers will start and finish at the Chicago Firefighters and Paramedic Memorial, and enjoy stunning sights of the city along the way. Registration to participate is open until the start of the event at 7:30 a.m. CT on Saturday, April 26. Even if you don’t want to participate, consider donating to a participant or team; all proceeds will go towards advancing the AACR’s mission to prevent and cure all cancers. 

The CheckPoints are again performing at this year’s Annual Reception.

Later on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT, attendees can seek new career opportunities at the AACR Cancer and Biomedical Research Career Fair. This premier recruiting event is for scientists at all career levels as well as for cancer and biomedical research organizations seeking to fill positions. Registration is free for job seekers—even if you are not a meeting attendee. But those registered to attend the meeting have other opportunities for networking, including the Networking Hubs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. CT on Sunday, April 27, and the CancerCareers Hub located in AACR Central in the Exhibit Hall, which will be open Sunday through Wednesday (see times below).  

If you enjoy rock music and researchers making breakthroughs in immuno-oncology, then the Annual Reception on Sunday from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. CT is not to be missed. The reception will feature a performance from The CheckPoints, a cover band comprised of researchers, oncologists, and industry professionals in the immunotherapy field, including Nobel Laureate James P. Allison, PhD, FAACR. Learn more about the band and what songs you may hear them perform in this story on Cancer Research Catalyst.  

If you head out to Chicago a little earlier, the Second AACR Oncology Industry Partnering Event: From Cancer Discoveries to Patients will also be held at the McCormick Convention Center from April 24 to 25. This event is separate from the AACR Annual Meeting and requires its own registration. The 2025 program will feature presentations from both major pharmaceutical companies and small-mid size biotechnology companies. Like last year, the goal is to connect researchers, industry partners, analysts, and investors around innovative strategies for drug development and potential partnership opportunities. 

What to Know About the Exhibit Hall 

Therapy dogs will again be available for petting in the Exhibit Hall wellness lounges.

More than 600 exhibitors will be at the AACR Annual Meeting 2025, and you can view a directory listing or map of the Exhibit Hall to start getting an idea of which ones you may want to visit. The Exhibit Hall will be open from 12 to 5 p.m. CT on Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT on Monday and Tuesday, and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Attendees can also play the Explore! game in the AACR Annual Meeting Mobile App, where they can earn points by visiting participating exhibitors and various other locations. Winners will be selected after the meeting and receive gift cards in the mail. 

Other amenities in the Exhibit Hall include concession stands with a variety of food and beverage options, a headshot lounge for getting professional shots taken, charging stations for powering your digital devices, and a wellness lounge featuring massage stations, therapy dogs, and spa water. 

What to Know About Childcare Services 

Nursing mothers will have two avenues for privacy. McCormick Place has three nursing pods courtesy of Mamava, which can be accessed by downloading their app. These pods are located at Lakeside Center Level 2 by the Gift Shop, North/South Level 2.5 across from Starbucks, and West Level 1 near the Main Information Desk on Indiana Avenue. Additionally, the AACR is providing three nursing suites with refrigerators located in S503B, E260, and N127. 

Professional childcare services are also available from KiddieCorp free of charge to meeting attendees. Advance registration for this service is closed, but on-site registration will be available if space permits on a first-come, first-served basis. The program will operate out of Room E256 of the Convention Center. While snacks and beverages will be provided, parents or guardians will need to provide meals. It is requested that meals or snacks contain no nuts or nut products in case any of the other children have allergies.  

For coverage during the AACR Annual Meeting 2025, check out AACR Annual Meeting News, the official news source of the meeting, and subscribe to Cancer Research Catalyst, the official blog of the AACR, for daily highlights and more in-depth content about the advances in cancer research being presented.