Speaker Profile
M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Division of Medical Oncology, Ohio State
Biography
As director of the Division of Medical Oncology at the OSUCCC Dr Rolfo oversee and support specialized units providing care and conducting research for breast, endocrine, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, lung, skin, head and neck cancers and sarcoma. As a thoracic oncologist, I largely focus on lung cancer, mesothelioma and other cancers in the chest area. My goal has always been to blend innovative, personalized treatment plans with the human touch of compassionate care. Dr Rolfo's role at the OSUCCC James also includes serving as associate director for early phase clinical trials. My goal is to ensure a patient-centered approach at every stage of discovery, as breakthroughs we make in the lab can be directly applied to patient care, and observations from patient care continually generate new research questions. Dr Rolfo's research focuses on thoracic oncology, drug development, liquid biopsy and biomarkers of cancer found in the blood, and agnostic tumors defined by molecular or genetic features rather than location in the body. My insights have contributed to the early detection of certain cancers and development of targeted drugs and therapies in these areas. In addition to my clinical and research responsibilities, Dr Rolfo is proud to support the next generation of oncologists and physician-scientists through education and mentorship as a professor of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr Rolfo has worked to foster international collaboration and innovation as president of the International Society of Liquid Biopsy (ISLB) and as past chair of the Education Committee at the International Association for Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). Dr Rolfo has made several contributions to the field through writing book chapters, serving as a book editor and authoring more than 350 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Oncology, Cancer Discovery and the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. Dr Rolfo also serve as editor-in-chief of Critical Review in Oncology Hematology.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2026 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Adrian Lee, UPMC
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Dennis J. Slamon, UCLA
• Arul M. Chinnaiyan, University of Michigan
Keynote: Molecular Diversity of Human Malignancies: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications
• Dennis J. Slamon, UCLA
Keynote: From Cancer Drivers to Clinical Decisions: Transforming Tumor Genomics
• Arul M. Chinnaiyan, University of Michigan
Serial ctDNA-Guided Therapy Switching (SERENA-6 & Beyond)
• Chair: Adrian Lee, UPMC
• Pedram Razavi, MSK
• Minetta Liu, Natera
• Emre Baser, Astrazeneca
• Christian Rolfo, Ohio State
Neoadjuvant to Adjuvant MRD: How Early Is Early Enough?
• Chair: Mark Magbanua, UCSF
• Halla Nimeiri, Tempus
• Aparna Parikh, Harvard
• Minetta Liu, Natera
• C. Ola Landgren, U Miami
• Christopher Lieu, U Colorado
Rapid MRD to Treatment Decisions: Standardized ctDNA at Scale
• Chair: Luca Quagliata, Thermo Fisher
• Christian Rolfo, Ohio State
Multi-Omics Monitoring Beyond Variants: Methylation, Fragmentomics, EV/ctRNA
• Chair: David T. Miyamoto, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Maximilian Diehn, Stanford
• Daniel De Carvalho, University of Toronto
• Luis Diaz, MSKCC
• Amar Das, Guardant Health
Improving Care with Every Test: Powering a Continuous Learning Cycle in Molecular Diagnostics
• Phil Febbo, Veracyte
Precision Engineering: Customizing High-Sensitivity ctDNA Assays for Therapy Guidance at Scale
• Siyuan Chen, Twist Bioscience
From Validation to Payment: Coverage Pathways That Work
• Chair: Mark Stewart, Friends of Cancer Research
• Hilary Gee Goeckner, American Cancer Society (ACS)
• Sally Werner, Cancer Support Community
• Gabriel A. Bien-Willner, Palmetto GBA
• Lucy Langer, UnitedHealthcare
PMWC Hall of Impact
Previous Speakers Include
Nobel laureates, technology founders, regulators, CEOs and scientific pioneers who have taken the PMWC stage.
