NFCR Global Summit and Award Ceremonies

For Cancer Research & Entrepreneurship

Friday, October 18, 2024

Co-Hosted by

Thank you to all of our participants and attendees! This year’s event has concluded. Save the Date for our 2025 NFCR Global Summit: Friday, October, 24, 2025.

A Cutting-edge Cancer Research Conference Featuring Leading Cancer Scientists, Entrepreneurs, Investors, Business Leaders, & Advocates. Download the Full Program >>>

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM:

Welcome Remarks:

Dr. Sujuan Ba CEO of NFCR and Co-Founder of AIM-HI Accelerator Fund

Dr. Web Cavenee Chair of the Scientific Advisor Board of NFCR and UCSD Distinguished Professor

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM:

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM:

Keynote Presentation:

Drew Pardoll, MD., Ph.D. Director, Bloomberg- Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Session I: New Approaches to Cancer Treatments

Moderator: Lisa Coussens, Ph.D.,  Oregon Health & Science University

Panelists:

Aditya Bardia, M.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Jonathan Chernoff, M.D., Ph.D., Fox Chase Cancer Center

Paul Mischel, M.D., Stanford University

Scott Lippman, M.D., University of California, San Diego

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM:

Coffee Break

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM:

Session II: Early Detection & Cancer Prevention

Moderator: Carlos Doti, M.D.,  AstraZeneca VP, Head of Oncology, US  Medical Affairs

Panelists:

Ajay Goel, Ph.D., Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope

Samir Hanash, M.D., Ph.D., MD Anderson Cancer Center

Steven Lipkin, M.D., Ph.D., Weill Cornell Medicine

Sapna Syngal, M.D., MPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

12:00 PM – 12:30 PM:

Break and Lunch

12:30 PM – 12:55 PM:

AIM-HI Beacon Award Ceremony Honoring Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (hc)

Introduction of the 2024 Beacon Award Recipient by Sujuan Ba, Co-Chair of 2024 Beacon Award Selection Committee

Presenting the Beacon Award Medallion to the Recipient by the Award Selection Committee Members

2024 AIM-HI Beacon Award Winner Presentation

Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (hc), CEO, American Association for Cancer Research

12:55 PM – 1:20 PM:

AIM-HI Women’s Venture Competition Award Ceremony

2024 AIM-HI Women’s Venture Competition Winners Award Presentations

First Prize with Distinction
Nabanita Nawar, Ph.D.
Co-Founder & CEO, HDAX Therapeutics

Second Prize
Paraskevi Giannakakou, Ph.D.
Co-Founder & CSO, ARMA Bio

1:20 PM – 1:30 PM:

Coffee Break

1:30 PM – 3:00 PM:

Welcome Remarks by Matt Tremblay, Ph.D., Chairman of the Board of AIM-HI Accelerator Fund and CEO of Blackbird Laboratories and Blackbird BioVentures

Session I: Innovative Oncology Companies Showcase:

Jenny Lesser Herbach, MBA, CEO Adventris 

Ronald Herbst, Ph.D., CMO Biolojic Design

Vipin Suri, Ph.D., CMO Clasp Therapeutics

Lily Zou, Ph.D., MBA, CEO Degron Therapeutics

Samir Khleif, M.D., CEO Georgiamune 

3:00 PM– 3:10 PM:

Coffee Break

3:10 PM – 4:10 PM:

Session II: Investor’s Perspectives for Early-Stage Oncology Companies

Moderator: Matt Tremblay

Panelists:
Dave Greenwald, Ph.D. Vice President Business Development of Deerfield and CEO, Aviko Radiopharmaceuticals

Beverly Lu, Ph.D. Investor, Yosemite

Marie-Claire Peakman, Ph.D. Pfizer Ventures

Fei Shen, Ph.D. Managing Director, BI Venture Fund

4:10 PM – 6:00 PM:

Intermission Break

Honoring Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D. (Black-tie Optional)

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM:

7:00 PM – 7:30 PM:

7:30 PM – 8:55 PM:

Cocktail Reception

Emcee: Kristen Berset-Harris, Host of Great Day Washington, WUSA9

Opening Remarks by Sujuan Ba, Ph.D., CEO of NFCR, Co-Founder of AIM-HI & Founder of AFCR, Co-Chair of 2024 Szent-Györgyi Prize Selection Committee

Introduction of Keynote Speaker by Azra Raza, M.D., Chan Soon-Shiong Professor of Medicine, Columbia University in New York

Keynote Speaker – Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., 2011 Pulitzer Prize Winner, Associate Professor of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University

Introduction of 2023 Szent-Györgyi Prize Winner:  Isaac Witz, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at Tel Aviv University

Presentation of the 2024 Szent-Györgyi Prize Winner Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Director of Clinical and Translational Research, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Panel Discussion Live from Press Club:
Panelists: Dennis Slamon, Margaret Foti, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Funmi Olopade, Mohit Manrao, and Shereen and Isabella Pavlides (cancer research advocates)

8:55 PM:

Closing Remarks by Dr. Alfred Slanetz, Chairman of NFCR