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LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 8, 2026) — Fifty-six high school students from 28 schools across 24 Kentucky counties recently spent a day at the University of Kentucky, meeting and learning from cancer researchers, physicians and health care professionals. The event was the first in what organizers plan to make an annual effort to help build the state’s oncology workforce pipeline.
The first Kentucky NextGen Cancer Summit, which took place April 17 in the Healthy Kentucky Research Building, was organized by two UK Markey Cancer Center programs, the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network and the Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) program, along with Kentucky 4-H Youth Development.
The event was designed for high school juniors and seniors interested in health care careers. Attendees heard from Nathan Vanderford, Ph.D., director of the ACTION program, and Timothy Mullett, M.D., medical director of the Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network, along with oncologists and cancer researchers. Breakout sessions featured the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, an ACTION alumni panel and a patient survivorship panel.
Jiwoo Kim, a student participant from Madison County, said the summit shifted the focus from the problem of cancer to its solutions.
“The word ‘cancer’ holds so many stories, but NextGen was the opportunity to unify all those stories into one force. At the conference, the question wasn’t ‘What is the problem?’ or ‘Why should we care?’ It was ‘How can we fix it together?’” Kim said. “I loved this summit because I walked away with encouragement, hope, and so, so many new ideas — all of which came from talking and listening to the students and professionals at NextGen.”
The summit comes at a time when Kentucky faces an urgent need for cancer care professionals. The state has long had among the highest rates of cancer incidence and mortality in the nation, with Appalachian Kentucky bearing a disproportionate share of that burden. Launched in 2016, the ACTION program works to address that gap by preparing and inspiring high school and college students from the region to pursue careers in cancer research and clinical care.
“Many of the students who attended come from communities that have been hit hardest by cancer,” said Vanderford. “Our goal is to give them a firsthand look at what a career in cancer care and research can look like and inspire them to bring that back to their communities.”
The Markey Cancer Center Affiliate Network was established in 2006 to bring high-quality cancer care closer to patients across Kentucky, including in Appalachian communities, with a focus on prevention, education and access to clinical expertise. The network now includes 20 hospitals across the Commonwealth.
Organizers plan to hold the summit annually. Schools interested in participating next year can contact Holly Burke at holly.burke@uky.edu.
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