James Byrne, MD, PhD, assistant professor of radiation oncology and biomedical engineering at the University of Iowa, earned top honors at the 2026 V Foundation V Scholar Summit, which concluded this week.

The V Scholar Summit brings together V Scholars — early-career cancer researchers from leading institutions across the United States and Canada — for an annual gathering focused on collaboration, scientific exchange, and communicating the impact of their work. This year's Summit featured a collaborative challenge in which participants were paired with a researcher from a different field and tasked with developing a novel therapeutic or diagnostic approach to cancer. More than 20 teams competed in the challenge.

Byrne was paired with Eric J. Rellinger, MD, a pediatric surgeon from the University of Kentucky and fellow 2023 V Scholar. Together, the two developed a proposal that earned first place — along with a $10,000 research award for each team member.

The win reflects the interdisciplinary spirit at the heart of the V Foundation's mission. By pairing researchers whose expertise rarely overlaps, the challenge is designed to surface ideas that might not emerge within a single discipline — precisely the kind of bold, cross-cutting thinking that can move cancer research forward.

Byrne was named a V Scholar in 2023. The V Scholar Grant, awarded through the V Foundation for Cancer Research, supports tenure-track faculty in the early stages of their independent research careers at NCI-designated cancer centers and select institutions throughout North America.