Cancer Research Foundation

We’re excited to introduce another of our 2026 Young Investigator Award recipients: Brandon Jackson Baird, MD, of University of Chicago.

Dr. Baird is exploring how artificial intelligence and voice analysis could help detect laryngeal cancer earlier, potentially before symptoms become more serious. Laryngeal cancer is the second most common head and neck cancer in the United States, and early diagnosis is critical for both survival and preserving a patient’s voice and quality of life.

His research aims to develop a lower-cost, more accessible screening tool that can analyze subtle voice changes associated with early vocal cord cancer. Using advanced AI modeling and a large dataset of voice recordings, early versions of his system were able to distinguish between patients with cancer and those with healthy vocal folds nearly 80% of the time.

Building on these promising findings, Dr. Baird will continue refining this technology with the goal of improving access to screening, supporting earlier detection, and helping physicians monitor patients after treatment.

Research like Dr. Baird’s is helping advance innovative, patient-centered approaches to cancer detection and care, exactly the kind of bold science the Cancer Research Foundation is proud to support.

We are proud to announce the 2026 Young Investigators.

Our Young Investigator Award (YIA) supports early-career scientists with $100,000 grants over two years, helping them build the data and momentum needed for larger breakthroughs.

This year, we funded 10 investigators across 3 institutions, the most we've ever awarded.

In a time of uncertainty for many in the research community, we are proud to remain a consistent and long-term partner to scientists working on behalf of patients everywhere.

We will share more information about each recipients in the coming weeks. See comments for the link to the announcement.