The International Myeloma Society will honor Winship chief medical officer Sagar Lonial, MD, FACP, FASCO, for his lasting contributions to multiple myeloma research and care.
Sagar Lonial, MD, FACP, FASCO, chief medical officer of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and chair of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Waldenström Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Myeloma Society (IMS).
The award recognizes outstanding researchers whose work has made lasting contributions to the field of myeloma. Lonial will receive the honor during the 23rd Annual Meeting of the International Myeloma Society, held Sept. 23–26 in Glasgow, Scotland.
“I am grateful for this recognition from the IMS, but even more so because it represents years of collaborative work among colleagues around the world and here at Emory, as well as the patients who have entrusted our amazing team at Winship with their care," says Lonial. "This truly represents a team effort, and I am proud to be part of the Winship myeloma team."
Named for Jan Waldenström, a pioneer in the treatment of blood cancers, the Waldenström Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented at International Myeloma Workshops since 1989. Its recipients include many of the world’s most influential myeloma researchers and clinicians.
A globally recognized leader in multiple myeloma, Lonial has helped develop and refine many of the current treatment standards for patients with the disease. His research has focused on the development of novel therapies and combinations for myeloma and lymphoma, including immunotherapies and treatments targeting pathways involved in cancer growth and survival.
In addition to his leadership roles at Winship and Emory, Lonial serves as co-chair of the National Cancer Institute’s Myeloma Steering Committee and holds leadership and advisory roles with several national and international myeloma organizations. He has authored or co-authored more than 400 scientific publications, papers and abstracts, and has held editorial positions with several major oncology journals.
Lonial holds the Anne and Bernard Gray Family Chair in Cancer and has received numerous honors for his work. In 2025, he received the Robert A. Kyle Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Myeloma Foundation and the Emil J. Freireich Distinguished Pioneer Award from the Society of Hematologic Oncology. He received the International Myeloma Society’s Bart Barlogie Clinical Investigator Award in 2024 and was inducted into Giants of Cancer Care in 2020.
The International Myeloma Society is a professional, scientific and medical organization that brings together clinical and laboratory researchers, physicians and other health care professionals involved in the study and treatment of myeloma. The society promotes research, education, clinical studies and scientific exchange to advance the prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of multiple myeloma and related disorders worldwide.