Speaker Profile
PMWC PIONEER AWARD
Discovered HER2’s role and led development of Herceptin
M.D., Ph.D., Director, UCLA
Biography
Dr. Dennis J. Slamon is a distinguished oncologist and researcher known for his groundbreaking breast cancer work since the late 1990s. His pioneering research led to trastuzumab (Herceptin), a targeted therapy that revolutionized treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer, significantly improving survival rates for this aggressive subtype. Dr. Slamon has continued to transform cancer research, advancing targeted therapies and precision medicine to improve patient outcomes. His work focuses on identifying molecular targets for new therapies, tailoring treatments to the specific genetic alterations in tumors. His efforts have impacted not only breast cancer but other cancers with similar molecular profiles. Throughout his career, Dr. Slamon has received prestigious awards, including the 2019 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award and the 2024 Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research. He remains a leader in oncology, dedicated to advancing innovative treatments and improving the lives of cancer patients worldwide.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2026 Silicon Valley
Track Chair: Adrian Lee, University of Pittsburgh
PMWC Award Ceremony Honorees
• Dennis J. Slamon, UCLA
Neoadjuvant to Adjuvant MRD: How Early Is Early Enough?
• Chair: Angela DeMichele, UPenn
• Halla Nimeiri, Tempus
• Aparna Parikh, Harvard
• Minetta Liu, Natera
Serial ctDNA-Guided Therapy Switching (SERENA-6 & Beyond)
• Chair: Pedram Razavi, MSK
Multi-Omics Monitoring Beyond Variants: Methylation, Fragmentomics, EV/ctRNA
• David T. Miyamoto, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Maximilian Diehn, Stanford
From Validation to Payment: Coverage Pathways That Work
• Mark Stewart, Friends of Cancer Research
From Validation to Payment: Coverage Pathways That Work
• Mark Stewart, Friends of Cancer Research
• Hilary Gee Goeckner, American Cancer Society (ACS)
• Sally Werner, Cancer Support Community
• Gabriel A. Bien-Willner, Palmetto GBA
