Dr. Juanita Merchant elected fellow of American Association for Cancer Research

She got notice of the honor with a letter dated Nov. 20 from Margaret Foti, PhD, MD, CEO of the American Association for Cancer Research and was a bit overwhelmed by the commendation.

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Then, Juanita L. Merchant, MD, PhD, realized the date of the induction ceremony, which coincides with AACR Annual Meeting, April 17 - 22, 2026, in San Diego, was in conflict with her current role as president of the Association of American Physicians.

The AAP’s annual conference is wrapped up in the AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting — which it holds in collaboration with the American Society for Clinical Investigation and American Physician Scientists Association — to be hosted April 17-19, 2026, in Chicago. 

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“I think this is a wonderful honor because it means that colleagues unbeknownst to me prepared my nomination and their council elected me. I did not apply nor submit any information to AACR, but my understanding is that the premier fundamental cancer research society has elected me because of the impact of my research in cancer biology,” Dr. Merchant said. “So I am deeply humbled and proud that this society in particular selected me, especially because my clinical training is in gastroenterology and not oncology, although my fundamental research is in GI oncology. It is great to be recognized in a field outside of your specialty.”

Dr. Merchant, in addition to being a Regents Professor and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology since 2018, is the associate director for basic sciences at the U of A Comprehensive Cancer Center and served for 18 months as its interim director. She’s also an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

As a molecular gastroenterologist, her primary research interests include transcriptional control mechanisms regulating cell growth and differentiation and microbial-host interactions in the gastrointestinal tract. A major area Dr. Merchant has made significant scientific contributions to involves the role of Hedgehog signaling in normal gastric physiology and during gastric preneoplasia, or precancerous conditions of the stomach lining often associated with chronic inflammation like that from H. pylori infections.

As she’ll be in Chicago at the time of the induction ceremony in San Diego, Dr. Merchant said she was in touch with Dr. Foti over the weekend, who suggested she postpone her actual induction until 2027 so that she can attend the ceremony.

Regardless, her department head, James K. Liao, MD, chair of the Department of Medicine, a Division of Cardiology professor and member of the Sarver Heart Center and U of A Graduate Faculty, said, “Congratulations! It’s very well deserved and I’m happy for you.”

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