Speaker Profile
PMWC PIONEER AWARD
Led foundational PD-1/PD-L1 clinical research
M.D., Professor, Johns Hopkins U.
Biography
Dr. Topalian is a physician scientist whose studies of programmed death-1 (PD-1) blockade established immune checkpoint inhibition as a new pillar of oncology. Her work demonstrated durable tumor regressions across multiple malignancies and laid the clinical foundation for todays PD-1PD-L1 inhibitors, now approved in more than 20 cancer types. She also co-led the development of the PD-L1 IHC and MSI-high biomarkers. An author of over 180 peer reviewed publications and one of the most highly cited biomedical researchers, she continues to lead trials of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade and biomarker driven treatment combinations. Recognition for her contributions includes Natures 10 (2014), ASC Os David A. Karnofsky Memorial Award (2015), the Taubman Prize (2016), the NCI Rosalind E. Franklin Award (2018), and the A AMC Award for Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences (2021). Dr. Topalian was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2017 and to the A ACR and SITC Academies in 2022.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2026 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Ira Mellman, Medici Therapeutics
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Jedd D. Wolchok, Weill Cornell Medicine
• Suzanne Topalian, Johns Hopkins
• Levi Garraway, Roche
Keynote: Future Breakthroughs in Immuno-Oncology: New Targets, Modalities & Combinations
• Levi Garraway, Roche
Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment (TME) in Practice: Biomarkers & Combos
• Chair: Ira Mellman, Medici Therapeutics
• Dmitry Gabrilovich, AstraZeneca
• Jennifer Mataraza, Novartis
Immunotherapy with Personalized Cancer Vaccines: Who, When, How Fast?
• Chair: Suzanne Topalian, Johns Hopkins
• Tal Zaks, Orbimed
• Lelia Delamarre, Genentech
The Next Era: Neutralizing On-Target, Off-Tumor Effects by Turning Cancer Against Itself
• Cyriac Roeding, Earli
Fireside Chat: Immune Tolerance to Cure, A Conversation With...
• Lee Hood, Institute for Systems Biology
• Mary E. Brunkow, Institute for Systems Biology
ADCs in the Checkpoint Era: Who Benefits, What to Combine, What to Avoid
• Chair: Shreya Badhrinarayanan, Pfizer
• Gerold Meinhardt, Daiichi Sankyo
• Vadim Koshkin, UCSF
Strategic IP Management in Cell and Gene Therapy: Navigating Legal and Practical Challenges
• Janet Xiao, Morrison & Foerster LLP
Checkpoint 2.0 in Practice: PD-1+VEGF Wins, Resistance Salvage & Biomarker Gates
• Chair: Anne Kasmar, Parexel
• Jedd D. Wolchok, Weill Cornell Medicine
• Roy S. Herbst, Yale
Future Breakthroughs in TME Reprogramming: New Modalities, Smarter Delivery & Overcoming Resistance
• David Kirn, ReIGNITE
Radiopharmaceutical Therapy: New Targets, Isotopes, and Challenges
• Chair: William Oh, Yale
• Munir Ghesani, United Theranostics
• Sandy Srinivas, Stanford
• Anna Karmann, AdvanCell
