Ira Mellman

Biography
Ira Mellman (FAACR, FAIO) began his career at Yale School of Medicine, serving as Sterling Professor of Cell Biology and Immunobiology, Scientific Director of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, and member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. A National Academy of Sciences member, he is renowned for discovering endosomes, their role in antigen presentation, and the function of dendritic cells in immunity and vaccine responses, building on his fellowship with Ralph Steinman at The Rockefeller University.At GenentechRoche, where he spent 17 years as VP of Research Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Ira established the cancer immunotherapy franchise responsible for Tecentriq and Lunsumio. He also led efforts in personalized cancer vaccines (with BioNTech), cellcytokine therapies, and tumor microenvironment research. He introduced the Cancer Immunity Cycle (Mellman et al., Nature 2011, 2023), now a foundational concept in immune-oncology.He has served on the boards of the American Cancer Society and the Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer, receiving their Lloyd J. Old and Richard Smalley Awards. Ira is currently the co-founder and CSO of Medici Therapeutics, a next-generation immunotherapy company.Aded to jot form

Jedd D Wolchok

Biography
Dr. Jedd D. Wolchok is a pioneering figure in cancer immunotherapy, renowned for his instrumental role in the development and approval of groundbreaking treatments for melanoma. His leadership in clinical trials led to the FDA approval of ipilimumab, the first checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy, and the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab, establishing new standards of care for advanced melanoma patients. Throughout his career, Dr. Wolchok has been at the forefront of translational research, focusing on novel immunotherapeutic agents and the mechanisms of immune response to cancer. His laboratory has significantly contributed to understanding the tumor microenvironment and developing strategies to overcome resistance to immunotherapy. His contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the His work continues to shape the future of cancer treatment, emphasizing the potential of immunotherapy to provide durable control across various cancer types.

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Talk
Clinical uses of cancer immunotherapy
We will explore innovative immunotherapeutic strategies to modulate the immune response to cancer as well as to better understand the mechanistic basis for sensitivity and resistance to currently available immunotherapies.

Levi Garraway

Biography
Levi Garraway is a global leader in precision oncology, with a career spanning groundbreaking research, biotech innovation, and executive leadership in drug development. At Roche, he oversees one of the industry’s most advanced pipelines. Under his leadership, Roche has deepened its use of genetic and molecular data to guide clinical understanding. Roche has also pioneered the use of real-world data and AI across the R&D continuum to guide discovery and development of new therapies. Previously, Levi was on faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School and the Broad Institute, where his lab helped define early cancer mutation landscapes, identify therapeutic vulnerabilities, and characterize mechanisms of resistance to cancer therapies. During that time, Levi co-founded Foundation Medicine (now part of the Roche Group), a leading genomics-based cancer diagnostics company that has transformed precision oncology practice worldwide. Levi has authored 200+ scientific publications. He serves on the board of trustees for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and advisory boards for MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the American Association for Cancer Research.

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Talk
Future Breakthroughs in ImmunoOncology: New Targets, Modalities Combinations

Tal Zaks

Biography
Tal joined OrbiMed in 2021 and is a Partner for the Private Equity team. Tal was recently the Chief Medical Officer at Moderna, where he led the development of the companys COVID-19 vaccine and other key programs. Previously, Tal held senior leadership positions in drug development at major pharmaceutical companies, including Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline. Tal received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the Ben Gurion University and conducted post-doctoral research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Ira Mellman

Biography
Ira Mellman (FAACR, FAIO) began his career at Yale School of Medicine, serving as Sterling Professor of Cell Biology and Immunobiology, Scientific Director of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, and member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. A National Academy of Sciences member, he is renowned for discovering endosomes, their role in antigen presentation, and the function of dendritic cells in immunity and vaccine responses, building on his fellowship with Ralph Steinman at The Rockefeller University.At GenentechRoche, where he spent 17 years as VP of Research Oncology and Cancer Immunology, Ira established the cancer immunotherapy franchise responsible for Tecentriq and Lunsumio. He also led efforts in personalized cancer vaccines (with BioNTech), cellcytokine therapies, and tumor microenvironment research. He introduced the Cancer Immunity Cycle (Mellman et al., Nature 2011, 2023), now a foundational concept in immune-oncology.He has served on the boards of the American Cancer Society and the Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer, receiving their Lloyd J. Old and Richard Smalley Awards. Ira is currently the co-founder and CSO of Medici Therapeutics, a next-generation immunotherapy company.Aded to jot form

Dmitry Gabrilovich

Biography
Dr. Dmitry Gabrilovich is a prominent figure in cancer immunology, currently serving as the Chief Scientist in Cancer Immunology at AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, Maryland. His research primarily focuses on understanding how tumors suppress the immune system and developing innovative immunotherapies to counteract these mechanisms.Dr. Gabrilovich has held several notable academic and research positions as Endowed Professor at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, where he also led the Immunology, Microenvironment Metastasis Program.Dr. Gabrilovich's groundbreaking work includes identifying the impaired function of dendritic cells in cancer patients and co-discovering myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which play a significant role in tumor-induced immune suppression. Dr. Gabrilovich was awarded the title of Research Professor by the American Cancer Society in 2019.Dr. Gabrilovich's work continues to influence the field of cancer immunology, particularly in understanding tumor-immune interactions and developing strategies to enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapies.

Shreya Badhrinarayanan

Biography
Shreya Badhrinarayanan, MD leads advancements in ADCs and IO biologics within hematology and oncology at Pfizer.Previously at Genentech, she provided strategic direction for the development of new Immuno-Oncology drugs by leading cross-functional teams. Earlier in her career, she served as a Physician with the National Health Service, where she made significant contributions to clinical and research initiatives.Thriving in the field of medical leadership and management, Dr. Badhrinarayanan received the Edward Jenner Award from the NHS Leadership Academy. To further her passion for teaching, she served as an Honorary Lecturer in Medical Education and Simulation at the University of Adelaide Medical School, Australia. Her wide range of interests varies from AI in health care to DI initiatives that have been embodied through her contributions to print and media as well as at conferences across the globe. In addition, she is the editorreviewer of numerous high-impact journals, including the British Medical Journal.

Levi Garraway

Biography
Levi Garraway is a global leader in precision oncology, with a career spanning groundbreaking research, biotech innovation, and executive leadership in drug development. At Roche, he oversees one of the industry’s most advanced pipelines. Under his leadership, Roche has deepened its use of genetic and molecular data to guide clinical understanding. Roche has also pioneered the use of real-world data and AI across the R&D continuum to guide discovery and development of new therapies. Previously, Levi was on faculty at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School and the Broad Institute, where his lab helped define early cancer mutation landscapes, identify therapeutic vulnerabilities, and characterize mechanisms of resistance to cancer therapies. During that time, Levi co-founded Foundation Medicine (now part of the Roche Group), a leading genomics-based cancer diagnostics company that has transformed precision oncology practice worldwide. Levi has authored 200+ scientific publications. He serves on the board of trustees for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and advisory boards for MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the American Association for Cancer Research.

Peter Kang

Biography
Peter is a medical oncologist and an oncology drug developer with 17 years of oncology drug development experience, 15 years in the industry. He currently oversees Late-Stage Oncology Development at DSI, and previously held the role of VP, Section Head of GU Oncology at Merck Inc. Over his tenure, Peter was responsible for the clinical development and approval of multiple important medicines, including Keytruda and Enhertu, for melanoma, MSI-H tumors, and a wide range of other cancers such as esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, renal cell, urothelial, prostate, breast, and lung cancers.

Lelia Delamarre

Biography
Lélia Delamarre joined the Cancer Immunology Department at Genentech after completing her postdoctoral training at Yale University where she studied the cell biology of antigen presentation in dendritic cells. She obtained a PhD in Virology from Université Pierre et Marie Curie in France. Her laboratory studies the modulation of dendritic cell and T cell functions, with the goal of developing new strategies to enhance immune responses to cancer.

Janet Xiao

Biography
Janet focuses on worldwide patent procurement, patent portfolio management, and strategic planning for life sciences companies. Her clients range from large multinational biopharmaceutical companies, such as Celgene and Genentech, to emerging startup companies around the world. She advises her clients on patent matters relating to various technologies, including antibody therapeutics, cell therapeutics, nanomedicine, gene therapy, drug delivery systems, diagnostics, and nutraceuticals. Janet works extensively in performing IP due diligence reviews in the contexts of VC investments, technology transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and marketing and manufacturing clearance for biopharmaceutical products. She is noted for her in depth knowledge of patent landscapes in the fields of cancer immunotherapy, gene editing, next generation sequencing, liquid biopsy, antibody manufacturing, and medical devices.

Jedd D Wolchok

Biography
Dr. Jedd D. Wolchok is a pioneering figure in cancer immunotherapy, renowned for his instrumental role in the development and approval of groundbreaking treatments for melanoma. His leadership in clinical trials led to the FDA approval of ipilimumab, the first checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy, and the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab, establishing new standards of care for advanced melanoma patients. Throughout his career, Dr. Wolchok has been at the forefront of translational research, focusing on novel immunotherapeutic agents and the mechanisms of immune response to cancer. His laboratory has significantly contributed to understanding the tumor microenvironment and developing strategies to overcome resistance to immunotherapy. His contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the His work continues to shape the future of cancer treatment, emphasizing the potential of immunotherapy to provide durable control across various cancer types.

Roy Herbst

Biography
Dr. Roy Herbst is a pioneer of personalized medicine and immunotherapy whose goal is to cure lung cancer. He has led Phase I development of multiple targeted agents for non-small cell lung cancer, including gefitinib, axitinib, atezolizumab, and anti-PD1PDL1 therapies. He has helped bring targeted therapy to early-stage disease as the PI of the adjuvant osimertinib study (ADAURA). He co-led MD Anderson's BATTLE-1 effort. He served as the national PI of the SWOG S0819 trial and held the role of founding PI for the NCI Lung Cancer Master Protocol (Lung-MAP, S1400) for a decade. He is a member of the National Cancer Policy Forum where he organizes National Academy of Medicine meetings focused on policy issues in personalized medicine and tobacco control. He is an elected member of the NCI Thoracic Malignancies Steering Committee and the chair of the American Association for Cancer Research Science Policy and Government Affairs Committee.

Mary Brunkow

Biography
Dr. Mary Brunkow is Senior Program Manager in the Hood Lab at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle. Notably, she is a recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Brunkow was recognized, along with Drs. Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi, for groundbreaking discoveries illuminating the mechanisms of peripheral immune tolerance, including the identification of the FOXP3 gene and regulatory T cells central role in preventing autoimmune disease.Born and raised in Portland, Ore., Brunkow attended St. Marys Academy before earning a BS in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Washington. She went on to complete MS and PhD degrees in Molecular Biology at Princeton University, where she trained under Dr. Shirley M. Tilghman. Following her graduate studies, she conducted post-doctoral research at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute (now the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute) in Toronto under Dr. Alan Bernstein.In 1994, Brunkow joined Darwin Molecular Corporation, a pioneering gene-discovery biotechnology start-up in Bothell, Wash., co-founded by ISBs founding president, Dr. Leroy Hood. At Darwin, she worked alongside mentors and collaborators, including Drs. David Galas, Fred Ramsdell, Steve Ziegler, and John Mulligan. During her tenure, Darwin was acquired by Chiroscience Group PLC (UK) in 1996 and later by Celltech Group PLC (UK) in 1999. Brunkow remained through successive transitions until the Bothell sites closure in 2003, contributing to landmark discoveries that advanced molecular immunology and paved the way for her later Nobel-recognized work.Between 2003 and 2005, she combined consulting and contract research roles with completing a certificate in technical and scientific writing, while also focusing on her family life. In 2006, she joined ISB as a Science Writer in Dr. Alan Aderems laboratory, helping communicate complex systems biology findings to broader audiences. She later served as Associate Director of Program Management at Trubion Pharmaceuticals (2008-2009) before returning to ISB in 2009 as Program Manager, Genetics, a position she still holds today. At ISB, Brunkow has been instrumental in coordinating and managing complex, multi-disciplinary projects that integrate human genetics, whole-genome sequencing, and computational biology to uncover molecular mechanisms underlying diseases such as Huntingtons disease, Alzheimers disease, and bipolar disorder. Her work exemplifies ISBs collaborative approach connecting data, disciplines, and people to accelerate biomedical discovery and ensure that science serves the greater public good.

Lee Hood

Biography
A world-renowned scientist and recipient of the National Medal of Science in 2011, Dr. Leroy Hood co-founded the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in 2000 and served as its first President from 2000-2017. In 2021, he founded Phenome Health, a non-profit research organization dedicated to contributing solutions to the major challenges causing a crisis in healthcare. In September 2023, Dr. Hood joined the Buck Institute for Research on Aging as Chief Innovation Officer and Distinguished Professor. Dr. Hood is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine. Of the more than 6,000 scientists worldwide who belong to one or more of these academies, Dr. Hood is one of only 20 people elected to all three. He is also a member of the Inventors Hall of Fame for inventing automated DNA sequencing.