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Previous Year Event Recaps

  • 2026 Agenda

    7:45 am

    Sign-In, Continental Breakfast, Poster Set-Up

    8:30 am

    Welcome / Purpose of Symposium
    Susan F. Smith Center Leaders

    8:40 am

    J. Dirk Iglehart, M.D., Visiting Scholar Lecture
    (35-40 min talk, 10 mins questions)

    Perspectives from the Unusual: Demystifying Special Breast Cancer Subtypes

    Fresia Pareja, MD, PhD
    Assistant Attending, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
    Co-Director, MSK Lobular Breast Cancer Program
    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

    9:30 am

    SESSION I: Genomics 
    Chair: Gerburg Wulf, MD

    9:30 – 10:15 am

    3 oral presentations (10 mins each; 5 mins questions)

    Kristen Brantley, PhD – Tumor genomics in young patients with metastatic breast cancer
    Alexandra Indeglia, PhD – Targeting transcriptional drivers of plasticity and resistant cell states in triple negative breast cancer
    Gilbert Salloum, PhD – Integrin Alpha-V is a targetable vulnerability in epithelial ovarian cancer

    10:15 am

    Coffee Break (15 min)

    10:30 am

    SESSION II: Risk, Prevention & Disparities/Clinical 
    Chair: Heather Eliassen, ScD

    10:30 – 11:15 am

    3 oral presentations (10 mins each; 5 mins questions)

    Xiaying Kuang, PhD – Metabolomic aging in relation to breast tumor molecular features
    Jun Nishida, PhD – Development of Lalba mRNA-LNP vaccine for breast cancer prevention
    Joshua Yang, BS – Replication Stress Induced Nucleotide Excision Repair Deficiency Creates a New Therapeutic Vulnerability in BRCA2-Mutant Tumors

    11:15 am

    Gynecologic Cancer Keynote Lecture
    (35-40 min talk, 10 mins questions)

    Precision Medicine: Leveraging (Epi)Genotype-Driven Vulnerabilities in Ovarian Cancer

    Rugang Zhang, PhD
    Professor and Chair, Department of Experimental Therapeutics
    CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research
    The John M. O’Quinn Endowed Chair in Cancer Research
    Associate Director for Discovery Science, CCSG
    The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

    12:05 – 1:15 pm

    Lunch and Open Posters (12:05 – 1:15pm)

    1:15 pm

    SESSION III: Drug Resistance/Animal Models 
    Chair: Patricia Donahoe, MD

    1:15 – 2:00 pm

    3 oral presentations (10 mins each; 5 mins questions)

    Marie-Anne Goyette, PhD – Functional Screening of Novel HER2 Heterogenous Breast Cancer Model
    Ramya Ravindranathan, PhD – Unraveling the Therapeutic Potential of PARG and Dual PARG-USP1 Inhibition in Ovarian Cancer
    Oyku Sumer, BS, MSc – Therapy-induced senescence reprograms apoptotic dependencies to drive ovarian cancer drug resistance and recurrence

    2:00 pm

    Pathfinder Showcase: Introducing the Grant-Writing Toolbox – Lee Nadler, MD

    2:05 pm

    SESSION IV: Tumor Microenvironment/Immunology 
    Chair: Panagiotis Konstantinopoulos, MD, PhD

    2:05 – 2:50 pm

    3 oral presentations (10 mins each; 5 mins questions)

    David Pépin, PhD: Targeting Follistatin-like 3 to reverse immunotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer
    Jingxin Fu, PhD: Distinct CAF-Macrophage Crosstalk Drives the Immunosuppressive Phenotype of Invasive Lobular Carcinoma
    Kenichi Shimada, PhD: Spatially resolved multi-omic profiling reveals BRCA-dependent immune remodeling during PARP inhibition and PD-L1 blockade

    2:50 pm

    Adjourn

  • 2024 Agenda

    7:15 am

    Sign-In, Continental Breakfast, Poster Set-Up

    8:00 am

    Welcome/Purpose of Symposium
    Susan F. Smith Center Leaders

    8:10 am

    J. Dirk Iglehart, M.D., Visiting Scholar Lecture
    Harnessing omics and AI for precision breast oncology

    Christina Curtis, PhD, MSc
    RZ Cao Professor of Medicine, Genetics & Biomedical Data Science
    Director AI and Cancer Genomics
    Director, Breast Cancer Translational Research
    Investigator, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub
    Stanford University
    (35-40 min talk, 10 mins questions)

    9:00 am

    SESSION I:Genomics
    Chair: Gerburg Wulf

    9:00 – 9:45 am

    3 oral presentations (10 mins each; 5 mins questions)

    Abstract #1
    Okoh Frimpong: Chemoproteomic Evaluation of PROTACs Targeting Estrogen Receptor Alpha in ER+ Breast Cancer

    Abstract #4               
    Zheqi Li: KDM4C histone demethylase prevents histone cleavage in breast cancer

    Abstract #9               
    Jessica St. Laurent: Shifted assembly and function of mSWI/SNF family subcomplexes underlie targetable dependencies in endometrioid carcinomas

    9:45 am

    POSTER SESSION
    9:45 am – 10:30 am – Open Posters

    10:30 am

    SESSION II: Risk, Prevention & Disparities/Clinical
    Chair: Sara Tolaney

    10:30 – 11:15 am

    3 oral presentations (10 mins each; 5 mins questions)

    Abstract #12             
    Haohui Duan: BRCA2 haploinsufficiency induces P53 degradation in primary mammary epithelial cells – a crucial early event in breast tumor promotion

    Abstract #18             
    Jennifer Mongiovi: Associations between intrauterine device use and ovarian cancer risk among 11 population-based case-control studies

    Abstract #21             
    Xingping Qin: Safely targeting endogenous and therapy-enhanced BCL-XL dependence in ovarian cancer using the PROTAC DT2216

    11:15 am

    M. Patricia Cronin Memorial Lecture
    Why listening to women matters in ovarian cancer research

    Sarah M. Temkin, M.D.
    Associate Director for Clinical Research
    Office of Research on Women’s Health
    Office of the Director, NIH
    (35-40 min talk, 10 mins questions)

    12:05 pm

    Lunch and Open Posters
    12:05 – 1:15pm

    1:15 pm

    SESSION III: Drug Resistance/Animal Models
    Chair: Patricia Donahoe

    1:15 – 2:15 pm

    4 oral presentations (10 mins each; 5 mins questions)

    Abstract #30             
    Carman Li: Brca1 haploinsufficiency promotes early tumor onset and epigenetic alterations in a mouse model of hereditary breast cancer

    Abstract #32             
    Yusuke Matoba: Targeting Bcl-XL is a potential novel therapy for uterine serous cancer

    Abstract #35             
    Ramya Ravindranathan: PARG inhibitor sensitivity is correlated with accumulation of single strand DNA gaps in preclinical models of ovarian cancer

    Abstract #40             
    Ting Liu: Intratumoral heterogeneity drives resistance to Antibody Drug Conjugate therapy: Analysis of the NeoSTAR trial of neoadjuvant Sacituzumab govitecan for localized TNBC.

    2:15 pm

    SESSION IV: Tumor Microenvironment/Immunology
    Chair: Jean Zhao

    2:15 – 3:00 pm

    3 oral presentations (10 mins each; 5 mins questions)

    Abstract #41             
    Sara Busatto: Breast cancer-derived extracellular vesicles modulate the endocytic metabolism and morphodynamics of the endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier

    Abstract #43             
    Maeva Chauvin: Targeting Follistatin-like 3 to reverse immunotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer

    Abstract #46             
    Adam Nelson: Immune mediated mechanisms of PARPi resistance in BRCA1-associated triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)

    3:00 pm

    Announcement of Awards and Adjourn

  • 2023 Agenda

    7:15 am 

    Sign-In, Continental Breakfast, Poster Set-Up    

    8:00 am  

    Welcome/Purpose of Symposium

    Susan F. Smith Center Leaders

    8:10 am

    M. PATRICIA CRONIN MEMORIAL LECTURE
    “STICs make tumors nervous”
    Ronny Drapkin, M.D., Ph.D.
    Franklin Payne Chair in Gynecologic Oncology
    Director, Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center
    Director, Gynecologic Cancer Research, Basser Center for BRCA
    Assistant Dean, Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Academy
    (35-40 min talk, 10 mins questions)

    9:00 am 

    SESSION I: Genomics
    Chair: Gerburg Wulf

    9:00 – 9:45 am

    3 oral presentations (12 mins each); 3 mins questions

    Abstract #25

    Dominik Glodzik: Timing onset of homologous recombination deficiency before cancer diagnosis in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers

    Abstract #26

    Po-Han Lin: Genomics and transcriptomics landscape of early pathogenesis of the BRCA1/2-associated breast cancer

    Abstract #27

    Stefania Morganti: Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) after (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) versus endocrine therapy (ET) for early breast cancer (eBC): the CIRCE-eBC prospective cohort study

    9:45 am

    POSTER SESSION
    9:45 am – 10:30 am – Open Posters

    10:30 am 

    SESSION II: Risk, Prevention & Disparities/Clinical

    Chair: Sara Tolaney

    10:30 – 11:30 am

    4 oral presentations (12 mins each); 3 mins questions 

    Abstract #5

    Cheng Peng: Regular Aspirin Use and Long-term Breast Cancer Survival

    Abstract #19

    Joseph Dottino: Who is first in line? Trends in use of poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) among commercially insured women with ovarian cancer

    Abstract #22

    Filipa Lynce: A phase Ib study of sapacitabine (sapa) and olaparib (ola) in patients (pts) with BRCA1/2-mutated (BRCA1/2m) metastatic breast cancer (MBC)

    Abstract #31

    MacLean Sellars: Personalized targeted circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to monitor response to combined neoantigen vaccine and immune checkpoint blockade in ovarian cancer

    11:30 am 

    J. DIRK IGLEHART, M.D., VISITING SCHOLAR LECTURE
    “Regulatory Strategies to Address Unmet Need in Breast Cancer”
    Tatiana M. Prowell, M.D.
    Breast Cancer Scientific Liaison, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
    Associate Professor of Oncology, Breast Cancer Program, Johns Hopkins           
    University School of Medicine
    (35-40 min talk, 10 mins questions)

    12:15 pm

    Lunch and Open Posters
    12:15 – 1:15pm

     1:15 pm

    SESSION III: Drug Resistance/Animal Models
    Chair: Patricia Donahoe

    1:15 – 2:15 pm

    4 oral presentations (12 mins each); 3 mins questions

    Abstract #43

    Joshua Rivera: Single Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Putative Tumor Promoting Subpopulation in Brca1 Mutant Breast Cancer Mouse Model

    Abstract #45

    Alexandre da Costa: The USP1 inhibitor I-138 kills BRCA1-deficient tumor cells and overcomes PARP inhibitor resistance

    Abstract #57 

    Bogang Wu: Systematic identification of pathways associated with antibody drug conjugate sensitivity in breast cancer

    Abstract #59

    Oladapo Yeku: Antibody Drug Conjugates against MUC16 for Ovarian Cancer

    2:15-2:30 

    15-Minute Break

    2:30 pm  

    SESSION IV: Tumor Microenvironment/Immunology
    Chair: Jean Zhao

    2:30 – 3:30 pm

    4 oral presentations (12 mins each); 3 mins questions

    Abstract #32

    Triet Bui: The Single-Cell Trajectory of Immune Escape During DCIS-IDC Progression

    Abstract #34 

    Maeva Chauvin: The role of cancer-associated mesothelial cells in the ovarian tumor microenvironment

    Abstract #35

    Jenny Hogstrom: Modeling drug resistance in ER+ breast cancer using patient-derived organoid cultures and cancer-associated fibroblasts

    Abstract #62

    Jeffrey Patterson-Fortin: Polymerase θ inhibition activates the cGAS-STING pathway in BRCA1-deficient breast cancer

    3:30 pm

    Announcement of Awards and Adjourn

  • 2019 Agenda

    7:15 am 

    Sign-In, Continental Breakfast, Poster Set-Up

    8:00 am 

    Welcome/Purpose of Symposium
    Susan F. Smith Center Leaders

    8:10 am 

    M. Patricia Cronin Memorial Lecture
    “Loss of Base Excision Repair Drives Drug Resistance in BRCA2 Mutant Ovarian Cancer"
    Shailja Pathania, Ph.D.

    Assistant Professor, Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy
    University of Massachusetts Boston

     9:00 am 

    SESSION I: Genomics

    Chair: Gerburg Wulf

    • Rajula Elango: Coordination of stalled replication fork repair by Fanconi anemia gene product Slx4
    • Doga Gulhan: Detecting the mutational signature of homologous recombination deficiency in clinical samples
    • Mihriban Karaayvaz: Aneuploidy and suppressed DNA damage response define haploinsufficiency in breast tissues of BRCA2 mutation carriers

     9:45 am

    Poster Session 

    10:30 am 

    SESSION II: Risk/Prevention/Clinical
    Chair: Rulla Tamimi

    • Emma McGee: Plasma osteoprotegerin and breast cancer risk: A nested case-control study within the Nurses’ Health Study II
    • Oana Zeleznik: Mammogram-derived texture features and risk of breast cancer
    • Hanneke Poort: Predictors and Trajectories of Fatigue in Ovarian and Uterine Cancer

    11:15 am 

    J. Dirk Iglehart, MD Visiting Scholar Lecture
    “Unraveling the drivers of breast cancer: phenotypic plasticity meets mutations in long-tail genes”
    Charlotte Kuperwasser, PhD
    Director, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Convergence Laboratory (RBSCL)
    Professor Developmental, Molecular & Chemical Biology
    Tufts University School of Medicine 
    (35-40 min talk, 10 mins questions)

    12:00 pm 

    Lunch and Open Posters 

    1:00 pm 

    SESSION III: Drug Resistance/Animal Models
    Chair: Patricia Donahoe

    • Carlos Gil del Alcazar: Immune related strategies for prevention of breast tumor initiation and progression
    • Akshaya Chandrasekaran: PAX8-directed nanotherapeutics for high grade serous ovarian cancer
    • Prabha Sarangi: The TRIP13 ATPase mediates PARP inhibitor resistance by promoting homologous recombination 

    1:45 pm 

    SESSION IV: Tumor Biology/Immunology
    Chair: Jean Zhao 

    • Kirsten Kubler: Tamoxifen-associated uterine corpus cancer is characterized by the lack of mutational activation in the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway
    • Sonia Iyer: Novel Syngeneic Mouse Models of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma reveal distinct tumor microenvironments for Homologous Recombination -Deficient and -Proficient tumors
    • Jennifer Guerriero: Harnessing Macrophages in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) to Overcome PARP Inhibitor Resistance

    2:30 pm 

     Announcements of Awards and Adjourn

  • 2018 Agenda

    7:15 am 

    Sign-In, Continental Breakfast, Poster Set-Up

    8:00 am 

    Welcome/Purpose of Symposium
    Alan D’Andrea, M.D. - Ursula Matulonis, M.D. - Eric Winer, M.D.

    8:10 am 

    KATHRYN FOX SAMWAY MEMORIAL LECTURE:
    “Mechanisms that maintain genome stability”
    Andre Nussenzweig, Ph.D.
    NIH Distinguished Investigator, Laboratory of Genome Integrity
    National Cancer Institute, Center for Cancer Research

     9:00 am 

    SESSION I: Genomics

    Chair: Gerburg Wulf

    • Hui Liu: Identifying and Targeting Sporadic Oncogenic Genetic Aberrations in Mouse Models of Triple Negative Breast Cancer
    • Johnathan R. Whetstine: Balancing Lysine Methylation Impacts Site-Specific DNA Copy Gains Associated with Aggressive Disease
    • Nicholas A. Willis: BRCA1 suppresses genomic instability specific to defects in stalled fork repair in mammalian cells

     9:45 am

    Poster Session 

    10:30 am 

    SESSION II: Clinical/Translational
    Chair: Patricia Donahoe

    • Adrienne G. Waks: The immune microenvironment in hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients and relationship to treatment outcome following preoperative chemotherapy plus bevacizumab
    • Anniina Färkkilä: DNA damage- and immune profiling with highly multiplexed tissue immunofluorescence (t-CycIF) in high-grade serous ovarian cancer
    • Golnaz Morad: Using proteomics profiling to elucidate the interactions of breast cancer-derived exosomes with the blood brain barrier

    11:15 am 

    M. PATRICIA CRONIN MEMORIAL LECTURE:
    “Reprogramming the tumor microenvironment and T cells for ovarian cancer immunotherapy”
    Kunle Odunsi, M.D., Ph.D.
    Cancer Center Deputy Director, The M. Steven Piver Professor and Chair, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Executive Director, Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

    12:00 pm 

    Lunch and Open Posters 

    12:45 pm 

    SESSION III: Risk/Prevention 
    Chair: Rulla Tamimi 

    • Cheng Peng: Transcriptomic network analysis reveals molecular mechanisms linking radon exposure to breast cancer etiology in breast tumor and tumor-adjacent tissues
    • Claire H. Kim: Erythrocyte membrane fatty acids and breast cancer risk by tumor tissue expression in the Nurses’ Health Study II
    • Motohiro Kano: Concurrent MIS/AMH treatment during chemotherapy preserves the ovarian reserve and fertility

    1:30 pm 

    SESSION IV: Tumor Biology
    Chair: Jean Zhao 

    • Johann Bergholz: PI3Kβ mediates immune evasion in PTEN-deficient triple-negative breast cancer
    • Constantia Pantelidou: The covalent CDK12 Inhibitor MFH290 has monotherapy activity in homologous recombination repair-deficient breast and ovarian cancer models and reverses PARP inhibitor resistance
    • Sarah J. Hill: Rapid assessment of DNA repair inhibitors and checkpoint blockade efficacy in short term patient-derived ovarian cancer organoids

    2:15 pm 

    Special Seminar:

    “Targeting Galectin 3 Action for Tumor Growth Suppression and Metastasis”

    David Spriggs, M.D.

    2:30 pm 

     Annoucements of Awards and Adjourn