10th Annual Rosen Award Honors Michael Link, MD
Now in its tenth year, the annual Rosen Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the fight against childhood cancer.
Children’s Cancer Cause will honor Michael P. Link, MD, with the 2025 Leonard M. Rosen Memorial Research Award at a reception in New York City this evening. The award recognizes Dr. Link’s lifelong dedication to improving outcomes for children battling cancer.
Established in 2016, the Children’s Cancer Cause Rosen Award highlights individuals whose advocacy and groundbreaking work has advanced the care and treatment of children with cancer, the leading cause of death by disease among children in the United States. The award recognizes pioneers who turn research into action and hope for young patients and their families.
Dr. Link is the Lydia J. Lee Professor in Pediatric Oncology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. His research focus includes the biology and treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphomas and Hodgkin disease, as well as clinical management of bone and soft tissue sarcomas in children.
Dr. Link is the only pediatric oncologist to have served as president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He has been an Associate Editor of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and he served as Vice Chairman of the Pediatric Oncology Group, a legacy group to the Children’s Oncology Group.
He has also served on the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA and the Board of Scientific Advisors of the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Link is a longtime member of the Children’s Cancer Cause board of directors.
“Children’s Cancer Cause is proud to recognize Dr. Link’s advocacy and clinical research to improve care for pediatric cancer patients,” said Steve Wosahla, CEO of Children’s Cancer Cause.
“Throughout his career, Dr. Link has been a steadfast champion for advancing public health and public policy to affect the lives of patients and their families. His clinical insights have contributed to better care delivery and remarkable advances in survival rates.”
Dr. Link recently appeared on the Cancer History Project Podcast to revisit what drew him to pediatric oncology, his early mentors, progress and challenges - like drug shortages - over the years, and his thoughts on oncology today:
“Still at the root of it [all] is the pleasure of taking care of patients and taking them through an illness. That is still what makes this career for me and for anybody I think, who’s an oncologist, not just pediatric oncologist, that’s what makes it worthwhile.
“But you hope you can sort of do things that move the needle also, move the needle on a disease by running a study. And more for me, it’s now sort of moving the needle on advocacy so you can sort of do something for the greater good.”
Dr. Link joins an esteemed group of Rosen Award recipients recognized for advocating for childhood cancer patients as researchers in healthcare, economics of drug development, outcomes research, enhanced access to drugs, and survivorship. Read about the former recipients here.
The annual Rosen Award pays tribute to the late Leonard Rosen, Children’s Cancer Cause chairman and founding board member, for his many years of service to the cause of pediatric cancer. Leonard’s son Adam L. Rosen is the current chair of the Children’s Cancer Cause board of directors.