2026 Agenda

Welcome

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

HCC Pathfinder Trainee Session
(Separate Registration Required)

12:00 – 12:25 PM

Lunch

12:25 – 12:30 PM

Welcome and Introductions

Session I

12:30 – 12:45 PM | Q&A 12:45 – 12:55 PM

New technologies for ultrasensitive ctDNA detection

Viktor Adalsteinsson, PhD
Director, Gerstner Center for Cancer Diagnostics, Broad Institute

12:55 – 1:25 PM | Q&A 1:25 – 1:40 PM

Keynote Lecture: Advancing Precision Oncology with ctDNA in Breast Cancer

Pedram Razavi, MD, PhD
Assistant Attending, Department of Medicine
Director, Breast Translational Program and Breast Molecular Tumor Board
Director, Liquid Biopsy and Cancer Genomics, Biomarker Development Program
Director, Translational Oncology Partnership Program
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

1:40 – 2:10 PM | Q&A 2:10 – 2:20 PM

Applications of epigenomic liquid biopsy in breast oncology and beyond

Sylvan Baca, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

2:20 – 2:35 PM

Break

Session II

*HCC Pathfinder Program Travel Awardees

2:35 – 2:40 PM

Introduction

Lee Nadler, MD | Multiple Principal Investigator, Harvard Catalyst; Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Professor for Cancer Research and Teaching at Harvard Medical School

2:40 – 2:46 PM

Timing the onset of homologous recombination deficiency before breast cancer diagnosis

Michail Andreopoulos, MPhil | PhD Student, Harvard Medical School

2:46 – 2:52PM

Therapeutic strategies involving selective CDK2 inhibitors in RB-proficient and RB- deficient HR-positive metastatic breast cancer

Kazi Islam, PhD | Postdoctoral Fellow, Massachusetts General Hospital

2:52 – 2:58PM

Translational discovery and validation of genomic alterations associated with AKT inhibitor (AKTi) resistance in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (HR+/HER2- MBC)

Maxwell Lloyd, MD* | Instructor, Massachusetts General Hospital

2:58 – 3:04PM

Mechanistic interpretation of cfDNA fragmentation topography through joint deconvolution of fragmentation processes and tissue composition with cfVista

Allen Lynch, BS* | PhD Student, Harvard Medical School

3:04 – 3:10PM

Beyond ctDNA: Ultrasensitive Protein Liquid Biopsy to Refine Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnostic Workflows

Justin Rolando, PhD* | Instructor, Brigham and Women's Hospital

3:10 – 3:16PM

Clinicogenomic characterization and ctDNA detection of ESR1 fusion positive metastatic breast cancer

Katheryn Santos, BS* | Postbaccalaureate Fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

3:16 – 3:22PM

Cell-free DNA Methylation Deconvolution for Liquid Biopsy in Breast Cancer and Other Solid Tumors

Ze Zhang, PhD | Postdoctoral Fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

3:22 – 3:40PM    

Panel Discussion

Session III

3:40 – 4:10 PM | Q&A 4:10 – 4:25 PM

Keynote Lecture: Molecular Residual Disease in Early Breast Cancer: Bridging Detection and Intervention

Heather Parsons, MD, MPH | Maudslien Endowed Chair in Breast Cancer Precision Oncology Research; Program Head, Breast Oncology; Associate Professor, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center; Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Washington 

4:25 – 5:10 PM

Molecular Tumor Board

Heather Parsons, MD, MPH; Arielle Medford, MD; Stefania Morganti, MD; Ilana Schlam, MD, MPH

Conclusion

5:10 – 5:15 PM

Closing Remarks

5:15 – 6:00 PM

Social Hour