Speaker Profile
PMWC LUMINARY AWARD
Defined macrophage and dendritic cell biology in cancer and inflammatory disease
M.D., Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Mount Sinai
Biography
Dr. Merad is Director of the Precision Immunology Institute at Mount Sinai in New York. She is an internationally acclaimed physician-scientist and a leader in the fields of immunology and oncology. Her discoveries have reshaped immunology textbooks by revealing previously unrecognized complexity within the immune system and redefining its role in several major human diseases. She is particularly renowned for her pioneering research on macrophages and their contributions to cancer, inflammatory conditions, and age-associated diseases. Her laboratory now focuses on developing macrophage-targeted therapies to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases and to prevent age-related disorders. Dr. Merad is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine, and a fellow of the AACR and the Academy of Immuno-Oncology. She received numerous prestigious honors, including the William B. Coley Award, the Leopold Griffuel Cancer Prize, the INSERM International Prize, the Sjöberg Prize, and she was Knighted by the French Republic.
Talk
Macrophages: Key Targets in Cancer, Inflammatory Diseases & aging
Macrophages are master regulators of tissue health and inflammation, yet their diverse roles in physiology and disease have only recently become fully appreciated. In this lecture, I will discuss how understanding macrophage biology is transforming therapeutic strategies for cancer, inflammatory diseases, and aging.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2027 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Mark Genovese, Eli Lilly
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Miriam Merad, Mount Sinai (Luminary)
• Jeffrey A. Bluestone, UCSF (Luminary)
Featured Speakers
• Miriam Merad, Mount Sinai
• Jeffrey A. Bluestone, UCSF
• Gallia Levy, Gilead
• Marcela V. Maus, Harvard
• Nick Wilson, Biogen
• Megan Levings, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute
• Min Bao, Kali Therapeutics
• Purvesh Khatri, Stanford
• Heleen Scheerens, Genentech
• Pascal Geldsetzer, Stanford
• Dan Littman, NYU
• Anne Kasmar, Parexel
Macrophages Across Inflammation, Cancer & Aging
Master regulators of tissue health and disease across precision immunology.
Immune Reset in Autoimmune Disease
CAR-T, in vivo CAR, and the pursuit of durable remission.
Beyond Broad Immunosuppression
Tolerance, Tregs, and disease-modifying approaches.
Turning Biomarkers on Their Head
What we can measure before we can reliably predict response.
Precision Immunology in Clinical Development
Trial enrichment, deeper endpoints, response prediction, and regulatory strategy.
The Microbial Roots of Autoimmunity
Chronic infection, dysbiosis, and microbial signals shaping disease.
PMWC Hall of Impact
Previous Speakers Include
Nobel laureates, technology founders, regulators, CEOs and scientific pioneers who have taken the PMWC stage.
