Speaker Profile
M.D., Ph.D., Director, UCLA
Biography
Dr. Dennis J. Slamon is a distinguished oncologist and researcher known forhis groundbreaking breast cancer work since the late 1990s. His pioneeringresearch led to trastuzumab (Herceptin), a targeted therapy thatrevolutionized treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer, significantlyimproving survival rates for this aggressive subtype. Dr. Slamon hascontinued to transform cancer research, advancing targeted therapies and precision medicine to improve patient outcomes. His work focuses onidentifying molecular targets for new therapies, tailoring treatments to the specific genetic alterations in tumors. His efforts have impacted notonly breast cancer but other cancers with similar molecular profiles. Throughout his career, Dr. Slamon has received prestigious awards, including the 2019 Lasker-De Bakey Clinical Medical Research Award and the2024 Szent-Györgyi Prize for Progress in Cancer Research. He remains aleader in oncology, dedicated to advancing innovative treatments andimproving the lives of cancer patients worldwide.
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.
