Dr. Sara Myers Earns Mentorship with Global Leader in Cancer Care 

Sara Myers, MD, PhD, a surgical oncologist at the OSUCCC – James, is no stranger to the Pelotonia community. Earlier this year, she took the stage at Pelotonia’s High Roller Evening of Appreciation and Survivor Celebration to share her work, and at this year’s Gravel Day, she participated as a Runner with Team Buckeye.  

Now Dr. Myers has reason for a different kind of celebration. As the 2026 recipient of the Block Lectureship Junior Faculty Award, she’s embarking on a two-year mentorship with Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, this year’s recipient of the Herbert and Maxine Block Memorial Lectureship Award, a position that enables her to collaborate with one of the most influential voices in cancer care.   

The mentorship carries special meaning for Dr. Myers, who has long admired Dr. Bertagnolli’s work in building collaborative infrastructure locally, regionally and nationally.   

“With her involvement in clinical trial collaborative groups, she has brought people together to make a difference for cancer patients,” Dr. Myers says. “To learn from someone like her in terms of advancing science, clinical care and collaborative leadership capacity is a very rare opportunity.”  

Dr. Myers, who treats patients with breast cancer at the OSUCCC – James, also co-leads Building Research Innovation and Care Delivery for Groups with Early-Onset Cancers (BRIDGE), an initiative tackling the rising number of early-onset cancer diagnoses and helping patients navigate their cancer journey alongside major life events. It’s work she carries home with her: Dr. Myers is the mother of three young daughters, and she thinks of them every time she meets a patient facing cancer at an age when no one expects it.   

“Focusing on cancer care is not always straightforward when you are also navigating the milestones, opportunities, and responsibilities that shape young adulthood,” she says.   

As part of the Junior Faculty Award, Dr. Myers will expand her research focused on young adult and early-onset cancer. Her work aims to better understand the unique needs and priorities of these patients and help ensure those perspectives are reflected in personalized treatment plans. 

Read the full story on the OSUCCC – James blog here.

This article appeared in the Summer 2026 issue of the Pelotonia Insider, which can be found here.