Speaker Profile
Director, Virginia Tech
Biography
Christopher S. Hourigan, DM, DPhil, FRCP, is a physician-scientist oncologist focused on measurable residual disease (MRD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
He chairs the nationwide “MEASURE” clinical protocol (NCT05224661), co-leads the FNIH-FDA-NCI-Academic-Industry Biomarkers Consortium for AML MRD, and is incoming chair of the European LeukemiaNet AML MRD international clinical standard of care guidelines.
Professor Hourigan trained at Oxford, Johns Hopkins, and Harvard Business School. Previously co-director of the Myeloid Malignancies Program, tenured Senior Investigator, and Chief of the Laboratory of Myeloid Malignancies at the National Institutes of Health. He served many years on the acute leukemia inpatient service at Johns Hopkins, and is currently founding director of the new Virginia Tech FBRI Cancer Research Center in Washington, DC.
Elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, American Society for Clinical Investigation; Fellowship of the American and Royal College of Physicians and awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2027 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Emre Baser, AstraZeneca
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Max Diehn, Stanford (Pioneer)
• Sarah-Jane Dawson, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre / University of Melbourne (Luminary)
Featured Speakers
• Max Diehn, Stanford
• Sarah-Jane Dawson, University of Melbourne
• Phil Febbo, Veracyte
• Ash Alizadeh, Stanford
• Adrian Lee, University of Pittsburgh
• Emre Baser, AstraZeneca
• Keith Flaherty, Mass General
• Thomas Powles, Barts Cancer Institute
Early-Stage Cancer: Can MRD Decide Who Needs More Treatment?
When ctDNA should change escalation, de-escalation, and surveillance.
Advanced Cancer Monitoring
Detecting response, resistance, and relapse early enough to switch therapy.
From Blood to Drug
Liquid biopsy for therapy selection and matching patients to the right intervention.
Integrating Tissue, Liquid & Imaging Biomarkers
How multimodal monitoring should work in real oncology care.
MRD as a Surrogate Endpoint
The promise and hazards of using MRD to accelerate drug approval.
PMWC Hall of Impact
Previous Speakers Include
Nobel laureates, technology founders, regulators, CEOs and scientific pioneers who have taken the PMWC stage.
