Agenda - 2024

5th Annual Immuno-Oncology Symposium

Thursday, May 30, 2024 - 8:30 am to 16:30pm EST

Symposium Booklet

8:30 - 9:00    Sign In & Networking
9:00 - 9:10   Welcome and Opening Remarks
Saman Maleki, PhD and John Ronald, PhD - Conference Co-Chairs 
                       
9:10 - 9:30  Ontario Institute of Cancer Research (OICR)
Laszlo Radvanyi, PhD - President and Scientific Director

9:30 - 11:10  SESSION #1

9:30-10:10   "Too Sweet to be true: microbiome control of the tumor microenvironment".
Abby Overacre, PhD
 
10:10-10:50  Speaker "Positron Emission Tomography imaging of the immune system: current status & opportunities for improved cancer immunotherapy monitoring.
Islam Alam, PhD

10:50-11:10   Trainee Talks

Exploring the Immunogenicity of Immunologically Active Neuroblastoma Tumours: The Critical Role of Gut Microbiota
Hasti Gholami, MSc. Candidate
Investigating the spatiotemporal neuroinflammatory response of half-brain irradiation in a murine model using 18F-FEPPA PET
Sawyer Badiuk, PhD. Candidate
 
11:10 - 11:30  Health Break

11:30 - 13:10  SESSION #2

11:30-12:10   "Fatty acid metabolic regulation of anti-tumor immunity against irradiated glioblastoma".
Claire Vanpouille-Box, PhD
                 
12:10-12:50   "The gut microbiota as a biomarker response to immunotherapy - focus on clinical trials".
Arielle Elkrief, MD. FRCPC 

12:50-13:10   Trainee Talks

"Spilling the T (Cell) on Immunological Distinctions Between HPV-Positive and -Negative Cervical Cancers"
Andris Evans, PhD Candidate
 "The impact of Akkermansia muciniphila administration on immune system modulation and response to immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer"
Amanda Liddy, MSc. Candidate

13:10 - 14:00  Lunch Break

14:00 - 14:50  Poster Session

14:50 - 16:30  SESSION #3

14:50-15:30 "Use of radiopharmaceutical therapy to overcome resistance to immunotherapy regimens."
Ravi Patel, MD PhD

15:30-16:10   "NK cell immunotherapy of pediatric solid tumors."
Christian Capitini, MD PhD
16:10-16:30   Trainee Talks
"The resistance of triple-negative breast cancer to anti-PD1 treatment is a result of changes in biochemical signalling of tumor cells in response to the treatment and the intrinsic heterogeity of different tumor cells."
Quan Quach, MSc. Candidate

The role of NKR-P1B receptor in regulating natural killer cell responses in breast cancer
Karla Alnajm, MSc. Candidate

16:30  Closing Remarks, Award Presentations & Networking
Saman Maleki, PhD and John Ronald, PhD - Conference Co-Chairs