Speaker Profile
M.D., M.D., Head, Division of Solid Tumor Oncology, MSKCC
Biography
Dr. Diaz is a physician-scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His teams provided the first definitive evidence for using circulating tumor DNA as cancer biomarker for screening, monitoring, and detection of occult disease; and discovered the therapeutic link between immunotherapy and cancer genetics in patients with mismatch repair deficient tumors. This research led to the historic first pan-tumor FDA approval for any solid tumors with this genetic lesion and the first cancer study that resulted in a 100% complete response rate. He is the recipient of numerous recognitions for his work including the Waun Ki Hong Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research. He is Editor-in-Chief of Cancer Discovery and is an elected member of the Giants of Cancer Care, the AACR Fellows Academy, the American Society of Clinical Investigation, and the American Academy of Physicians. In 2021, Dr. Diaz was appointed by President Joseph Biden to the National Cancer Advisory Board.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2026 Silicon Valley
Track Chair: Victor Velculescu, Johns Hopkins
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Pioneer Honoree: Klaus Pantel, UKE & ELBS
• Luminary: Rebecca Fitzgerald, University of Cambridge
Keynote
• Klaus Pantel, UKE & ELBS
Advancing Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) Detection through cfDNA and cfRNA Profiling
• Chair: Luis Diaz, MSKCC
• Anne-Renee Hartman, Adela
Early Cancer Detection / Regulatory / Population Health
• Peter Bach, DELFI Diagnostics
• Joshua J. Ofman, GRAIL
Role of AI in Liquid Biopsies and Cancer Detection
• Chair: Amoolya Singh, DELFI Diagnostics
