Symposium Session Topics

Progress and challenges for targeting RNA in Oncology
Targeted new therapies
Cell Based Platforms and Immunotherapy
Patient Advocacy
Springboard for Starting Companies
Genomics and Computational Cancer Biology
Predictive Biomarkers for Patient Stratification and Response
New Trends in Cancer Research
Panel Discussion

Confirmed 2024 Talk Titles

Targeting RNA-processing vulnerabilities in pancreatic cancer
Corina Antal, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology, Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego

Welcome Remarks
Joseph A. Califano III, MD, Director, Moores Cancer Center, Director, Glieberman Head and Neck Cancer Center, UC San Diego

Welcome Remarks
John Carethers, MD, Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, UC San Diego

TBA
Ezra Cohen, MD,Chief Medical Officer for Oncology, Tempus Labs

Immune Suppressive Myeloid Cells in Regulation of Tumor Progression
Dmitry Gabrilovich, MD, PhD, Executive Director and Chief Scientist, Cancer Immunology, AstraZeneca

Unraveling pancreatic cancer and its microenvironment: emerging therapeutics and discovery opportunities
Jacob R. Haling, PhD, Head, Cancer Therapeutics, Novartis Biomedical Research

Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA): a root cause of oncogene amplification in tumor growth and resistance, and a novel biomarker for a new class of targeted therapies
Christian Hassig, PhD, Boundless Bio

TBA
Fairooz Kabbinavar, MD, FACS, Chief Medical Officer, Cardiff Oncology

Engineering Human iPSCs to Produce Immune Cells with Improved Anti-Tumor Activity
Dan Kaufman, MD, PhD, Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego

Microbiome in Cancer Analysis and Treatment
Rob Knight, PhD, Director, Center for Microbiome Innovation, Professor of Pediatrics, Bioengineering, and Computer Science & Engineering, UC San Diego, Wolfe Family Endowed Chair in Microbiome Research, Rady Children’s Hospital

Early Breast Cancer Detection with a Blood Test: Consequences for Therapeutic Development
Peter Kuhn, PhD, Dean’s Professor of Biological Sciences and Professor of Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, and Urology, USC

Patient Advocacy Presentation
Brian McCloskey, Patient Advocate and Co-Foundrr, Cancer Patient Lab

TBA
Mike Pellini, MD, Managing Partner, Section 32

TBA
Teresa Ramirez Montagut, MD, PhD, Executive Director, Oncology, Medical Affairs, Regeneron

TBA
John Reed, MD, PhD, Executive Vice President, Innovative Medicine, R&D, Executive Committee Member, Johnson & Johnson

Strategies to Induce Tertiary Lymphoid Formation in Ovarian Cancer
David Schlaepfer, PhD, Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and, Reproductive Sciences, Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego

TBA
Laura Shawver, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Capstan Therapeutics

Modulating RNA Processing to Drug Oncogenic Transcription Factors
Peter Smith, PhD, Co-Founder, President & Chief Executive Officer, Remix Therapeutics

NanoEngineering Gone Viral: Plant Viruses Against Cancer
Nicole Steinmetz, PhD, Professor & Vice Chair, Dept. of NanoEngineering; Director of Nano-ImmunoEngineering; Co-Director, Center for Engineering in Cancer; Professor of Radiology & Bioengineering; Moores Cancer Center, San Diego Center for Precision Immunotherapy, Center for Drug Discovery & Innovation, UC San Diego

Myeloid Cells as Targets for Immune Therapy
Judith Varner, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Pathology, Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego

Unlocking the Potential of Long Non-Coding RNA to Develop Transformative Medicines
Dominique Verhelle, PhD, Co-Founder, CEO & CSO, NextRNA Therapeutics

An Ex-vivo Organotypic Culture Platform of Mucinous Carcinomatosis Peritonei Identifies CDK4/6 Inhibition as a Novel Treatment
Jonathan Weitz, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher, NCI Ruth Kirschstein Fellow, Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego

Pioneering Cutting Edge tRNA Based Therapies and Bringing Them to Patients
Leslie J. Williams, MBA, Co-Founder, Director, President & Chief Executive Officer, hC Biosciences

Mapping Technologies to Understand RNA Processing
Gene Yeo, PhD, MBA, Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Founding Member, Institute for Genomic Medicine, Stem Cell Program, Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego

Click here for the 2023 Agenda in PDF format.