Gala Celebration 2026
Event Details
Too young. Too many. Time to act.
Join us in celebrating breakthroughs, bold ideas, and the leaders bringing cutting-edge prevention science to life. Together, we’ll shine a light on the rise in early-onset cancers disproportionately impacting young women—and the urgent need to understand what’s driving this trend. More than a call to action, this evening is a commitment to changing the trajectory of cancer risk and protecting future generations.
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Museum of Science, Boston
The Program
6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception, The Blue Wing
8:00 p.m. Program and Call to Action, The Blue Wing
Celebratory cocktail attire
Honoring:
- Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, President-elect of the National Academy of Medicine, 2026 Rachel Carson Advocacy Award
- Tatiana Schlossberg (in memory of), Environmental Journalist and Author, 2026 Susan S. Bailis Champion Award
Featuring:
- Dr. Mary Beth Terry, Executive Director, Silent Spring Institute
- Dynamic host, Katie Martell
Sponsorship Opportunities
Lead the way to a future with less cancer. Your sponsorship drives solutions to stem the rise of early-onset cancers and create a healthier environment for everyone.
Individual Sponsorships
Corporate Sponsorships
For more information, questions about sponsorship opportunities, and to get involved, please contact Julia Runyan at runyan@silentspring.org or 617-318-5279.
Rachel Carson Advocacy Award
Dr. Monica Bertagnolli
Monica Bertagnolli, MD, is a surgical oncologist with a distinguished career in cancer research, clinical care, and national health leadership. She was elected president of the National Academy of Medicine, a position she will assume in July 2026, becoming its first woman leader. She served as director of the National Institutes of Health from 2023–2025. Prior to this, she was the director of the National Cancer Institute and Chief of Surgical Oncology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Throughout her career, Dr. Bertagnolli has been at the forefront of the field of translational oncology. Her research has clarified how genetics and inflammation contribute to cancer, improving prevention and treatment. She has also advanced nationwide data-sharing efforts to improve patient care. A former president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, she has also served on the boards of the American Cancer Society and the Prevent Cancer Foundation. She is currently the Richard E. Wilson Professor of Surgery Emerita at Harvard Medical School and a Senior Fellow in Healthcare Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Susan S. Bailis Champion Award
In memory of Tatiana Schlossberg
Tatiana Schlossberg was a journalist who brought clarity to complex environmental issues through her writing in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, and The Boston Globe, among other publications. Her book, Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don’t Know You Have, unveiled how the choices we make every day impact our planet. It won the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award in 2020. In the fall of 2025, Tatiana offered a deeply personal account of her experience with leukemia in the essay, “A Battle with My Blood,” published in The New Yorker.
In recognition of Tatiana’s courage and commitment to making the world better, Silent Spring honors her memory with the Susan S. Bailis Champion Award. Susan Bailis was a passionate advocate for research on the environmental causes of breast cancer and a dedicated champion of Silent Spring’s mission.
Featuring
Dr. Mary Beth Terry
Dr. Mary Beth Terry is an internationally renowned cancer epidemiologist with over 25 years of experience leading studies on breast cancer risk factors. Her many contributions to the field include groundbreaking work on how environmental exposures increase breast cancer risk in women with a family history or genetic predisposition. She currently leads an international study investigating drivers of early onset cancer and the influence of environmental exposures during key windows of susceptibility. Author of over 450 scientific publications, Dr. Terry has served on numerous prestigious committees for the National Cancer Institute and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. She is also a Professor of Epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health and Associate Director at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University.
Host
Katie Martell
Katie Martell has appeared on stages across the U.S. and internationally as an emcee, host, and speaker. She speaks and writes about the collision of marketing and social movements (aka woke-washing) and has been named "one of the most interesting people in B2B marketing." Her two cents have appeared in places like the BBC, Adweek, CNBC, Forbes, WSJ, New York Times, and more. With 150,000 followers and subscribers, she shines a light on important narratives and believes Mary Oliver when she wrote, "To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work."
Host Committee
Andrea Ferrara† and Annie Madden, Co-Chairs
Lisa Carey Moore and Justin Moore, Co-Chairs
Larry Bailis† and Susan Shevitz
Kathryn Bailis Phillips and Josh Phillips
Jill‡ and Michael Balmuth
Lisa Goodwin Robbins† and Andrew Robbins
Kristin* and Tom Knox
Katie and Martine Martell
Norma Ofsthun‡ and Alexis Porras
Angela Pacheco and Aaron Benchoff
Robin‡ and Bruce Polishook
Daniela Rochez†
Kathryn Rodgers‡ and Nicholas Ryan
Cynthia McKeown† and Terry Kitchen
†Board of Directors
‡Leadership Council
About Silent Spring Institute
Silent Spring Institute is the nation’s leading authority on chemicals in our everyday environment and women’s health, with a particular focus on breast cancer. Through research, policy, and education, we work to reduce harmful exposures and advance cancer prevention. For more than 30 years, our science has strengthened chemical safety policies and helped make prevention a national research priority.
