AACR Grantee Summit: Igniting Innovation in Cancer Research

5:30 – 7:00 pm

Reception with Light Hors d’Oeuvres (Location: Georgian Room)

7:10 – 8:10 am

Check-In and Breakfast (Location: Salon Foyer)

8:10 – 8:30 am

Welcome and Opening Remarks (Location: Salon I & II)

• Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), Chief Executive Officer, AACR
• Manuel Hidalgo, MD, PhD, FAACR, New York University Grossman School of Medicine 

8:30 – 9:15 am

Keynote Address (Introduced by: Manuel Hidalgo, MD, PhD, New York University Grossman School of Medicine)

Christine A. Iacobuzio-Donahue, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Center

9:15 – 10:15 am

Grantee Presentations Session I (Location: Salon I & II)

15 minutes each (10-minute presentation followed by 5-minute Q&A)

10:15 – 10:45 am

Break (Location: Salon Foyer)

10:45 – 11:45 am

Translating Innovation: Academic and Entrepreneurial Synergy in Cancer Research

(Location: Salon I & II)

• Keith T. Flaherty, MD, FAACR, AACR President, Massachusetts General Hospital

11:45 am – 1:15 pm

Lunch and Learn Session: Communication and Engagement Skills (Location: Salon I, II, & III)

1. Communicating Your Science Effectively (E. John Wherry III, PhD, University of Pennsylvania)
2. Building Connections: Importance of a Strong Network (Ashani T. Weeraratna, PhD, John Hopkins University)
3. Funding Challenges and Solutions (Jon Retzlaff, Chief Policy Officer, AACR)

1:15 – 2:00 pm

Fireside Chat with Robert A. Winn, MD, FAACR, Fox Chase Cancer Center (Location: Salon I & II)

2:00 – 2:30 pm

Break (Location: Salon Foyer)

2:30 – 3:30 pm

Grantee Presentations Session II (Location: Salon I & II)
15 minutes each (10-minute presentation followed by 5-minute Q&A)

3:30 – 4:30 pm

AI Perspectives: Exploring AI’s Potential Impact on Basic and Clinical Science (Location: Salon I & II)

• Ravi B. Parikh, MD, MPP, Emory University
• Peter K. Sorger, PhD, Harvard University

4:30 – 4:45pm

Group Picture of All Grantee Summit Attendees

5:00 – 8:00pm

Poster Session and Reception (Location: Salon III)

• John Zhang, PhD, AACR, Vice President, Research and Grants Administration
• Additional Speakers: TBD

7:45 – 8:45 am

Breakfast (Location: Salon III)

8:45 – 9:30 am

Keynote Address (Location: Salon I & II)

David A. Tuveson, MD, PhD, FAACR, AACR Past President, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

9:30 – 10:30 am

Grantee Presentations Session III (Location: Salon I & II)
15 minutes each (10-minute presentation followed by 5-minute Q&A)

10:30 – 11:00 am

Break (Location: Salon Foyer)

11:00 – 12:00 pm

Panel Session: A Multifaceted Dialogue on Drug Development (Location: Salon I & II)

• Lillian L. Siu, MD, FAACR, AACR Past President, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
• William Pao, MD, PhD, Revelio Therapeutics

12:00 pm – 1:05 pm   

Lunch with Round Table Discussions (Location: Salon III)

1. Career Inflection Points: Strategic Pivots and Decision (Moderator: William Pao, MD, PhD)
2. From First Grants to Long-Term Funding: Building a Sustainable Research Portfolio (Moderator: Lillian L. Siu, MD, FAACR, AACR Past President, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre)
3. Making Collaborations Work: Forming, Managing, and Sustaining Research Partnership (Moderator: Peter K. Sorger, PhD, Harvard University)
4. Recruiting, Managing, and Mentoring Students and Staff (Moderator: Christine A. Iacobuzio-Donahue, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)
5. Leading Effective Research Teams: Lab Structure, Culture, and Performance (Moderator: Edna Cukierman, PhD, Fox Chase Cancer Center)
6. Mentorship and Advisory Networks: How Relationships Shape Scientific Careers (Moderator: E. John Wherry III, PhD, University of Pennsylvania)
7. Prioritization and Delegation: Managing Time and Focus (Moderator: Maureen E. Murphy, PhD, The Wistar Institute)

1:05 – 2:05 pm

Grantee Presentations Session IV (Location: Salon I & II)
15 minutes each (10-minute presentation followed by 5-minute Q&A)

2:05 – 2:35 pm

Break (Location: Salon Foyer)

2:35 – 2:55 pm

Poster Session Winner Presentations (Location: Salon I & II)

2:55 – 3:05 pm

Announcement of Oral Presentation Winners (Location: Salon I & II)

3:05 – 3:20 pm

Summary and Closing Remarks (Location: Salon I & II)