Senior Madison Johnson talks to the audience in Smothers Theatre at the 2026 Pepperdine Oncology Symposium on Feb. 25. Johnson said organizing the conference required significant time and effort but ultimately proved worthwhile. Photo courtesy of Madison Johnson
When Madison Johnson arrived on campus as a first-year student, she said she already knew she wanted to study to fight cancer. What she didn’t know was by her senior year, she would become the founder of the 2026 Pepperdine Oncology Symposium. At this cancer conference doctors, researchers, students and patients united for a full day devoted to advancing progress in the study of cancer treatment.
The Symposium occurred in Smothers Theatre on Feb. 25. The Seaver College Natural Science Division hosted the event, and the Provost’s Office supported it, according to the Pepperdine Oncology Symposium website.
“The cause is too important to let drop,” Johnson said. “My motivation is spreading word about oncology and shedding light on such an important profession.”
Dee Anna Smith (’86) is the Board of Regents chair and CEO of Sarah Cannon Research Institute, where she has spent the last two decades conducting clinical trials and making advancements in the field of oncology research. She co-organized the event, but the original idea and most of the development credit belongs to Johnson, according to the Pepperdine Oncology Symposium website.
Now a senior Biology major on the pre-med track, Johnson said the Symposium reflects both her years of academic study and her deeper calling: to walk alongside patients the way oncologists once helped her own family.
Early Passion for Cancer Research
Johnson grew up in Ridgecrest, Calif., where she said her interest in cancer research began long before college.
“[Studying biology] was always something on my radar — specifically oncology research,” Johnson said. “I thought it would be an important area of study to pursue and a meaningful patient population to help.”
Johnson’s motivation became more personal when her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer several years ago. She said her grandmother has since recovered.
“In high school, I saw how big of an impact those oncologists had on my grandparents,” Johnson said. “They were able to walk alongside her through her cancer journey and they were such a comfort to our family.”
Senior Madison Johnson (center) poses with her grandfather Dennis McKinney (second from the left) and her grandmother Nancy McKinney (second from the right) at Newport Beach, CA on Jan. 3. Johnson said she was inspired by the kindness of her grandmother’s doctors following her cancer diagnosis. Photo courtesy of Madison Johnson
Johnson said observing her grandmother’s treatment gave her a deeper understanding of the responsibility oncologists have and the impact they can have on their patients.
Gaining Experience
Jay Brewster, provost and chief academic officer of Pepperdine University, said he met Johnson in summer 2023, when she participated in Pepperdine’s Summer Undergraduate Research and Biology Program (SURB). He was a faculty leader in the program, and he said his first impression of Johnson was a positive one.
“She’s got a lot of energy,” Brewster said. “She’s a person of integrity, energy, positivity and earnestness. She is committed to making the most of her time at Pepperdine and moving forward to be a cancer scientist.”
Senior Madison Johnson (fifth from the right) poses with Sarah Cannon Institute CEO Dee Anna Smith (center), President Jim Gash (second from the left) and Provost Jay Brewster (right) at the Pepperdine Oncology Symposium on Feb. 25. Brewster said Johnson set an example for all undergraduate students. Photo courtesy of Madison Johnson
She spent summer 2024 doing a research internship at a laboratory in Germany after studying abroad in Heidelberg her sophomore year, Johnson said. This environment gave her crucial experience in advancing her academic career.
“Working at the German Cancer Research Center, I got to know scientists from all over the world, and we were all working towards a common goal of fighting cancer,” Johnson said. “That was the first summer I really felt like I became a scientist.”
Johnson said she spent summer 2025 working closely with Smith at the Sarah Cannon Institute, where Johnson observed modern cancer treatment methods firsthand.
“I saw these novel therapies actually being delivered to patients, which was transformational in different ways,” Johnson said. “That’s where I finally got to translate my experience to the clinic.”
Johnson said these experiences honed her passion for cancer research.
Brewster said what stands out to him about Johnson is the way she has pursued opportunities to gain expertise as she’s navigated her years at Pepperdine.
“Madison is particularly skilled in pursuing experiences that will strengthen her ultimate array of skills she can take into the professional world,” Brewster said.
The Planning Process
The idea for the Symposium began as a much smaller concept, Johnson said. She first envisioned inviting a researcher from the Sarah Cannon Institute to speak at Pepperdine after spending time with them during her summer research internship.
But once she returned to campus, she said the idea began to grow.
“I started brainstorming in August,” Johnson said. “I kept thinking, how cool would it be to make a whole day out of it [this idea]?”
The project quickly expanded from a single lecture concept into a full symposium featuring a panel discussion, patient perspectives and research discussions, Johnson said. With support from faculty and administrators, the event gained momentum.
“The idea kept snowballing from there,” Johnson said. “Because of everyone’s support, it has been able to grow into the event that it is.”
Event organizer Madison Johnson (right) kicks off the Pepperdine Oncology Symposium with Co-organizer Dee Anna Smith (left) in Smothers Theatre on Feb. 25. Johnson said finally experiencing the event she planned for so long was surreal. Photo courtesy of Madison Johnson
Johnson said she worked closely with Lisa McCorkle, manager of Special Events.
McCorkle said she was impressed by how Johnson had everything planned out by the time she reached out to University Events.
“There’s a number of students who have the idea to create something, but this was the first student who had it all created by the time she reached out to us in January,” McCorkle said.
Johnson had already found her chair for the event, had the speakers lined up and the landing page created before contacting University Events, McCorkle said.
“I thought it was unique, interesting and brave to be a student and to take on an event that is multifaceted — with a lot of layers and details,” McCorkle said. “I instantly wanted to support her and make her vision come to life.”
Senior Madison Johnson poses with Senior Elizabeth Stansberry at the Brock House Aug. 2025. Stansberry said they both plan on going to medical school. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Stansberry
Senior Biology major Elizabeth Stansberry said she has had classes with Johnson since starting at Pepperdine. She said a lot of their friendship is founded on both wanting to become doctors.
“She is so bubbly, and her excitement just overflowed about the symposium,” Stansberry said. “It became contagious, and people started talking about it.”
The Event
The event included discussions regarding a variety of information on the latest advancements in oncology.
Johnson said the conference involved a lecture from the keynote speaker Julie R. Gralow, executive vice president and chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a powerful patient testimony by Teri Pollastro and presentations by Pepperdine students in the Natural Science Division.
“The schedule was designed to show both the science behind cancer treatment and the human side of care,” Johnson said.
Brewster said he was pleased with the outcome of the conference.
“They [medical conferences] are very important to integrate into our identity as a Christian university that really wants to serve the world and care for others,” Brewster said. “It [the symposium] was a particularly potent and helpful moment for the university.”
Senior Madison Johnson (left) leads a panel discussion during the Pepperdine Oncology Symposium in Smothers Theatre on Feb. 25. Johnson said she got to meet people at the conference who have the exact career she works to achieve. Photo courtesy of Madison Johnson
The conference represented a meaningful milestone not only for Johnson but for the pre-med community at Pepperdine, Stansberry said.
“Nothing like that [the symposium] has ever happened before,” Stansberry said. “It was really cool to reflect on all of the initiative behind the event — that there’s people in the administration of Pepperdine who want to invest in our pre-med program.”
Event organizer Madison Johnson (center) poses with Elizabeth Stansberry (right) and the other student researchers at the Pepperdine Oncology Symposium on Feb. 25. Stansberry said it has been fun to observe Johnson’s academic journey as she has explored various research experiences. Photo courtesy of Madison Johnson
Stansberry said it was rewarding to observe Johnson at the Symposium, knowing all the work she put into organizing the conference.
“The event was the culmination of so much of her time and effort,” Stansberry said. “It was really cool to see her shine up on stage. It was also her birthday, so she got to have a big oncology-themed birthday party.”
Legacy
Johnson said she hopes the Symposium will continue long after she graduates.
“It’s really special to take this last year to establish something like this,” Johnson said. “We’re hoping this will be the first of many more to come.”
Brewster said students could learn from Johnson’s approach to making the most of her time as an undergraduate at Pepperdine.
“She is unafraid of taking a chance and trying something different,” Brewster said. “Some of the best students I’ve worked with over the years have been students that were unafraid of whether or not they belonged in a particularly different setting.”
Students listen to the speaker at the Pepperdine Oncology Symposium in Smothers Theatre on Feb. 25. Johnson said this event was a great opportunity for students to hear from leaders in their field of study. Photo courtesy of Pepperdine Seaver College
Stansberry said Johnson’s success should inspire other students to pursue their own ambitions and bring their ideas forward.
“Students should be encouraged by the way Madison and her team were able to take the idea and bring it to reality,” Stansberry said. “We should all be encouraged to do that same thing with our big ideas.”
Brewster said Johnson’s work on the conference shows how students can turn their ideas into meaningful opportunities when they commit fully.
“Madison dreams big,” Brewster said. “I’m thrilled to death that Madison has provided an example of how students can benefit the academic culture at Pepperdine.”
As she prepares to leave Pepperdine, Johnson said she hopes the Symposium inspired other students to learn about cancer research.
“I’m proud of myself, for launching the event and starting something that I really believe in,” Johnson said. “Just having that mindset that there is a cure out there is so powerful, because as scientists, if we don’t believe that, then who’s going to and who’s going to do the work?”
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Contact Annslee Mitchell via email: annslee.mitchell@pepperdine.edu