Speaker Profile
Ph.D., CSO, Claret Bioscience
Biography
Chris’s current work focuses on developing and refining next-generation sequencing library preparation methods for degraded and low-input DNA, including cfDNA, FFPE DNA, and ancient DNA. His efforts emphasize improving data quality, robustness, and usability.
He has over two decades of experience in molecular biology and genomics, spanning academic research, technology development, and early-stage biotechnology. His background includes assay design, molecular tool development, and translating fundamental research into practical solutions adopted by laboratories worldwide. He has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and has consistently worked at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and sequencing technology, with a focus on solving real-world experimental constraints.
Talk
Preserving Methylation Signal in Cell-Free DNA
Cell-free DNA methylation provides powerful insight into tissue biology, but the signal observed depends on how DNA is prepared for sequencing. This talk explores how library preparation—particularly end repair—alters cfDNA methylation at fragment ends, reshaping downstream biological interpretation and tissue-of-origin inference.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2026 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Victor Velculescu, Johns Hopkins University
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Klaus Pantel, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf / ELBS
• Daniel De Carvalho, University of Toronto
Keynote: Early Detection of Cancer by Multimodal Liquid Biopsy Analysis
• Klaus Pantel, UKE / ELBS
From Mutation to Methylation: The Next Wave of Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers
• Chair: Victor Velculescu, Johns Hopkins University
• Daniel De Carvalho, University of Toronto
• Stephen Master, CHOP/U Penn
• Manel Esteller, Sant Pau Research Institute
• Gordon Sanghera, Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Advancing Minimal Residual Disease Detection Through cfDNA & cfRNA Profiling
• Chair: Luis Diaz, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Anne-Renee Hartman, Adela
• Klaus Pantel, UKE / ELBS
• Rita Shaknovich, Agilent
• Ajay Gannerkote, Integrated DNA Tech
AI-Informed Biomarker Trials: Turning Early Signals into Actionable Designs
• Chair: Manish Kohli, University of Utah
• Luis Diaz, MSKCC
• Eric Klein, GRAIL
• Peter Bach, DELFI Diagnostics
• Anne Docimo, UnitedHealthcare
• Samuel Levy, ClearNote Health
Role of AI in Liquid Biopsies & Cancer Detection
• Chair: Amoolya Singh, DELFI Diagnostics
• Ron Andrews, Dxcover
• Pankaj Vats, NVIDIA
Fragmentomics for Early Detection: End Motifs and Library Prep
• Christopher Troll, Claret Bioscience
Integrating Genetic Risk with Early Detection: A Precision Prevention Framework for Cardiovascular Disease
• Giordano Botta, Allelica
Metagenomic Diagnostics & Global Pathogen Surveillance
• Charles Chiu, UCSF
AI-Driven Host–Pathogen Signatures from Plasma cfDNA: Bridging Infection Biology and Early Diagnostics
• Sivan Bercovici, Karius
Ultra-Sensitive Multimodal Liquid Biopsy for Early Cancer Detection: AI-Driven Signal Profiling
• John Sninsky, CellMax Life
AI-Enhanced Proteomic Signatures for Early Cancer Detection
• Diana Abdueva, Aqtual
• Sally Mackenzie, EpiMethyl Analytics
