Speaker Profile
PMWC LUMINARY AWARD
Pioneering cfDNA methylome profiling (cfMeDIP-seq), enabling blood-based cancer detection and tissue of origin
Ph.D., Professor, U. of Toronto
Biography
Dr. Daniel De Carvalho is a leading cancer biologist recognized for pioneering cfDNA methylome profiling (cfMeDIP-seq), the first method to demonstrate that tumor-specific methylation patterns in plasma can reveal both the presence and tissue-of-origin of cancer. His research bridges epigenetics, liquid biopsy, and translational oncology, driving new approaches for early cancer detection, minimal residual disease detection, surveillance, classification and monitoring therapy response. At the University of Toronto and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, his lab investigates how DNA methylation dynamics inform tumor evolution, transposable elements regulation, viral mimicry and treatment response. Dr. De Carvalhos discoveries have reshaped how scientists and clinicians view the potential of epigenetic biomarkers in precision oncology and pioneered the use of cfDNA methylation for clinical use.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2026 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Victor Velculescu, Johns Hopkins
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Klaus Pantel, UKE & ELBS
• Daniel De Carvalho, University of Toronto
Keynote
• Klaus Pantel, UKE & ELBS
From Mutation to Methylation: The Next Wave of Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers
• Chair: Victor Velculescu, Johns Hopkins
• Daniel De Carvalho, University of Toronto
• Manel Esteller, Sant Pau Research Institute
Advancing Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) Detection through cfDNA and cfRNA Profiling
• Chair: Luis Diaz, MSKCC
• Anne-Renee Hartman, Adela
• Klaus Pantel, UKE & ELBS
AI-Informed Biomarker Trials: Turning Early Detection Signals into Clinically Actionable Designs
• Chair: Manish Kohli, University of Utah
• Luis Diaz, MSKCC
• Amoolya Singh, DELFI Diagnostics
• Peter Bach, DELFI Diagnostics
Fragmentomics for Early Detection: End Motifs and Library Prep
• Varsha Rao, Claret Bioscience
Integrating Genetic Risk with Early Detection: A Precision Prevention Framework for Cardiovascular Disease
• Giordano Botta, Allelica
Role of AI in Liquid Biopsies and Cancer Detection
• Chair: Amoolya Singh, DELFI Diagnostics
• Matthew Baker, Dxcover
