Cancer Research & Oncology 2018

Dr. David M. Albala graduated with a geology degree from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He completed his medical school training at Michigan State University and went on to complete his surgical residency at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Following this, Dr ... Albala was an endourology fellow at Washington University Medical Center under the direction of Ralph V. Clayman. He practiced at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago and rose from the ranks of Instructor to full Professor in Urology and Radiology in eight years. After 10 years, he became a tenured Professor at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. At Duke, he was Co-Director of the Endourology fellowship and Director for the Center of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urological Surgery. He has over 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has authored three textbooks in endourology and one in general urology. He serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Robotic Surgery, Journal of Endourology, Current Opinions in Urology and Urology Index and Reviews. He serves as a reviewer for eight surgical journals. At the present time he is Chief of Urology at Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, New York and Medical Director for Associated Medical Professionals. He is considered a national and international authority in laparoscopic and robotic urological surgery and has been an active teacher in this area for over 20 years. His research and clinical interests have focused on robotic urological surgery. In addition, other clinical interests include minimally invasive treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) and the use of fibrin sealants in surgery. He has been a Visiting Professor at numerous institutions across the United States as well as overseas in countries such as India, China, Iceland, Germany, France, Japan, Brazil, Australia, and Singapore. In addition, he has done operative demonstrations in over 32 countries and 23 states. He has trained 16 fellows in endourology and advanced robotic surgery. In addition, Dr. Albala is a past White House Fellow who acted as a special assistant to Federico Pena, Secretary of Transportation, on classified and unclassified public health related issues.

Dr. Antonio T. Baines is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and an adjunct professor in the Department of Pharmacology in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill. He earned a ... bachelors degree in biology from Norfolk State University and a doctorate in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Arizona. Afterwards, Dr. Baines accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at UNC in pharmacology and radiation oncology under Drs. Channing Der and Adrienne Cox. His research focused on understanding the role of the Ras oncogene as a molecular target in pancreatic cancer oncogenesis. In August 2006, Dr. Baines accepted a tenure-track faculty position at NCCU where he currently teaches and conducts research as a cancer biologist. Also, he mentors high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in his laboratory. Pancreatic cancer is the 4th most common cause of cancer deaths in the United States with a high mortality rate and very limited treatment options. The overall focus of Dr. Baines research program is to identify and validate novel molecular targets in pancreatic cancer which can be targeted by potential cancer therapeutics. Additionally, his lab aims to understand the role of these molecular targets in the development and progression of normal cells transforming into cancer cells of the pancreas. Currently, Dr Baines studies the functional significance of the oncogenic Pim kinase family in pancreatic cancer growth and development. He hypothesizes that inhibition of these enzymes will be an effective approach for antagonizing the aberrant growth of pancreatic carcinoma. In addition to working with colleagues in academia, he collaborates with various pharmaceutical companies that are developing Pim inhibitors. Results from his studies will allow for critical validation of these kinases as novel therapeutic targets for pancreatic cancer treatment. Dr. Baines research has been funded by NIH and other grant sources. He has presented his research at various national scientific meetings such as the Society of Toxicology and the American Association for Cancer Research. In addition, Dr. Baines has given invited research seminars at universities such as Duke University, UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical (A&T) State University, Indiana University, North Carolina State University, University of Missouri-Kansas City and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dr. Blonder leads the Clinical Proteomics Group at the CRTP/FNL. FNL is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center operated by Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In 1978, Dr. Blonder received his M.D. at the Rijeka University ... School of Medicine, Croatia. In 2000, through Associated Western Universities, Dr. Blonder was awarded a post-doc fellowship in proteomics at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (Advisor: Dr. Richard D. Smith). At the PNNL, his research was focused on studying cell surface proteins using mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics. In 2002, Dr. Blonder joined FNL (formerly NCI-Frederick) where he continues to develop and apply MS-based proteomics to cancer research. Since 2006, he has led the Clinical Proteomics Group, extending his research on development of shotgun proteomics for in-depth profiling of membrane proteins found at the cell surface of cancer cells. In parallel, he worked on methodology for cancer biomarker and drug target discovery using precision proteomics for targeted profiling of clinical tissue and blood specimens. His group was the first to optimize the immunodepletion of abundant proteins from clinical tissue homogenates. Currently, Dr. Blonder is leading the effort towards molecular mapping of the KRAS cell surface as a part the RAS program. This program is spearheaded by the FNL as a national mission to attack RAS-driven cancers. Dr. Blonder brings unique combination of his expertise in medicine, clinical proteomics, and pathway analysis, focusing his research on the development of innovative approaches for molecular profiling of cancer cell lines, body fluids and tissue specimens. He is an editor of BMC Cancer and a lecturer at the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences at NIH. Since 2002, Dr. Blonder has authored over 50 scientific publications in areas of biological mass spectrometry, clinical proteomics and cancer research.

Dr. Peter Blume-Jensen has extensive expertise in basic and translational cancer research, oncogenic signaling, and targeted oncology therapeutics drug discovery prior to joining Metamark as CSO in 2010.&nbsp; From 2001 to 2008 Peter was department head at first Serono, US and ... later at Merck Research Laboratories, Merck &amp; Co, Inc. where he established novel, integrated oncology drug discovery departments and programs linking therapeutics to patient responder populations. During his tenure he advanced a number of pre-clinical drug programs into the clinic, and provided translational support for clinical programs. Since 2008 he was Exec. Dir. and Vice President for External Scientific Affairs at Daiichi Sankyo Inc., served as the global 'Therapeutic Area Advisor' for Oncology, and was co-responsible for formulating a global oncology R&amp;D strategy. He co-led the scientific M&amp;A and due diligence resulting in the acquisition of Plexxikon (US$935M).&nbsp; In 2010 he joined Metamark as CSO and 2nd employee.&nbsp; Here he built and let R&amp;D, a world-class KOL Advisory Board, and a novel, automated proteomics imaging platform for CLIA-certified cancer tests.&nbsp; He designed and let 4 clinical studies culminating with the successful blinded, clinical validation of ProMark, a prognostic prostate cancer biopsy test for intact tissue.&nbsp; During the initial commercial launch in Q1-2, 2014 he led Medical Affairs and training of all commercial staff.&nbsp; Since June 2014, Peter has joined Xtuit Pharmaceuticals, a targeted therapeutics start-up, as CSO, and first employee.&nbsp; Peter continues to serve as Chief Scientific Advisor and on the SAB for Metamark and also has joined the SAB of Veritas Gene, Inc, a NGS company. <br /> <br />Dr. Blume-Jensen has authored highly-cited original articles, reviews, and book chapters in Personalized Molecular Oncology. His review 'Oncogenic Kinase Signaling' in Nature is a citation classic in 'Clinical Medicine', and his work on genetically engineered cancer and male infertility mouse models has been widely portrayed on CNN and other news channels. His approaches for efficacy-predictive biomarkers have appeared on Nature Biotechnology's 'Hot patents' watch-list and in numerous Editorial highlights for Personalized Oncology. Dr. Blume-Jensen obtained his M.D. from Copenhagen, Denmark, his Ph.D. from Dr. Carl-Henrik Heldin's laboratory at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Uppsala, Sweden, and conducted his Post-Doctoral studies in Dr. Tony Hunter's laboratory at the Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA. He has consulted extensively for Biotech and Pharma on targeted therapeutics and Precision Medicine

Dr. Geaghan is Chief, Pathology at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, and Co-Director of Clinical Laboratories at Stanford Hospital and Clinics. She also directs the Bass Pediatric Cancer Center Laboratory at the Lucile Packard Hospital; is Director of the Point of ... Care Testing Program for the women and children's hospital and is Director of Stanford Clinical Laboratory at Mary L. Johnson Pediatric Ambulatory Care Center. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and in Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, teaching medical students, residents, fellows and post-graduate continuing medical education programs. Dr. Geaghan received her undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College and MD at Boston University School of Medicine. She received her training, including two residencies in Anatomic and Surgical Pathology and in Laboratory Medicine, at the University of California, San Francisco, where she also served as Chief Resident and was the first Hematopathology Fellow. Dr. Geaghan holds four board certifications: in Anatomic Pathology; Hematopathology; Clinical Pathology and Pediatric Pathology. Dr. Geaghan is Chair-elect of the American Association of Clinical Chemistry Division of Pediatric Maternal Fetal Division, the largest organization of laboratory medicine professionals (2012-2014). Dr. Geaghan was recently named to the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry's Task Force on Pediatric Laboratory Medicine, and the College of American Pathologists Point of Care Testing Committee. Dr. Geaghan serves on numerous Executive Boards, including the Medical Executive Board at Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford and also serves on Advisory Boards as an avid advocate for children's health, in various national Pediatric Clinical and Laboratory Medicine Associations. She has recently been named in Top Doctors of the Year by San Jose Magazine, and in the American Registry of Outstanding Professionals.

Dr. Rajan T. Gupta, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Radiology in the Division of Abdominal Imaging at Duke University Medical Center, as well as the Director of the Abdominal Imaging Fellowship Program and a Faculty physician in the Duke Cancer Institute. Since 2009, he has been ... a faculty member in the Department of Radiology at Duke. Dr. Gupta has coauthored over 40 peer-reviewed publications. He has been awarded two Duke-Coulter Translational Research Grants as Clinical Principal Investigator, the most recent of which was entitled, "Registration of Multi-parametric MR and Quantitative Shear Wave Elasticity Images for Focal Prostate Cancer Procedures." He is a member of the Duke Cancer Institute Multi-Disciplinary Prostate Cancer Strategy Group. He has been an invited Refresher Course speaker at the Radiological Society of North America national meeting for the past 5 years and has been an invited Visiting Professor at institutions such as George Washington University, MD Anderson Cancer Center, The Mayo Clinic, and the University of Chicago. His recent published works have been focused on the comparison of multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) at 3 Tesla with the Partin Tables in assessment of organ confined prostate cancer, the effects of dedicated education on reader performance of mpMRI interpretation, and the assessment/development of a novel ultrasonic technique (Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging - ARFI) in the detection/characterization of prostate cancer in conjunction with his colleagues in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke.

Fred Russell Kramer currently works at the Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, at the Public Health Research Institute of the New Jersey Medical School at Rutgers University. His laboratory's current current project is the design of extremely ... sensitive, multiplex, real-time PCR assays for the detection and quantitation of somatic mutations that are relevant to cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.

The discovery of proteinaceous disease biomarkers and their clinical validation is critically important for the enablement of molecular diagnostics and ultimately, precision medicine. In spite of the importance of biomarkers, research done in the last two decades has yielded ... limited success in enhancing the repertoire of protein biomarkers of disease. This apparent dichotomy is in large part due to the fact that the process from discovery to validation is complex and involves a multidisciplinary collaboration across clinical, biochemical and biophysical disciplines and that that many initiatives sought to identify unique markers for a given disease with perfect correlation. Recent advances in better biomarker discovery strategies, clinical sampling and sample storage, better sample preparation methods that consider the inherent instabilities associated with clinical specimens, better discovery methods and analytical instrumentation suited for assay validation and clinical assays together promise to generate better panel tests for disease biomarkers of clinical significance. Hide Biography Dr. Latterich has nearly 20 years of academic and commercial and leadership experience and features an accomplished research career focused on the proteomics-based discovery of novel biomarkers in oncology, respiratory disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Martin is currently CSO at BioScale, a Lexington, MA, based biotechnology corporation commercializing a novel acoustic biomarker quantification platform. Most recently Martin served as a Professor at the Proteogenomics Research Institute for Systems Medicine in San Diego, where his laboratory used proteomics and genomics to discover novel biomarkers of cancer and degenerative disease though a systems biology approach that includes proteomics. He is also the CSO, co-founder and a board member for the non-profit Nicholas Conor Institute for Pediatric Cancer Research. Martin's work at the institute included designing new technologies to enable the better treatment of children with cancer, using personalized medicine technology to match their unique genetic make-up and tumor physiology to available treatment options. He previously served on the faculty of the University of Montreal, McGill University and the Salk Institute. His grant-funded work has been recognized by the 2003 Tier I Canada Research Chair, the 1998 Pew Scholar Award and the 1997 Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Award. Dr. Latterich also held senior management positions at several biotechnology companies, including Diversa and Illumina, where he headed the proteomics initiatives. He has made significant contributions to the field of cell biology, clinical biomarker discovery, proteomics and genomics. Among his recent discoveries are biomarkers for cancer, respiratory disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Dr Latterich has edited one book on RNAi, is author on over 34 publications in leading scientific journals and is listed on numerous patent applications. Martin is Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal Proteome Science. He has served on several national and international study sections. He was a postdoctoral fellow in molecular and cell biology in the laboratory of Dr. Randy Schekman at the HHMI and University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Latterich earned his Ph.D. in cell biology and a B.Sc. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Durham University, U.K.

The discovery of proteinaceous disease biomarkers and their clinical validation is critically important for the enablement of molecular diagnostics and ultimately, precision medicine. In spite of the importance of biomarkers, research done in the last two decades has yielded ... limited success in enhancing the repertoire of protein biomarkers of disease. This apparent dichotomy is in large part due to the fact that the process from discovery to validation is complex and involves a multidisciplinary collaboration across clinical, biochemical and biophysical disciplines and that that many initiatives sought to identify unique markers for a given disease with perfect correlation. Recent advances in better biomarker discovery strategies, clinical sampling and sample storage, better sample preparation methods that consider the inherent instabilities associated with clinical specimens, better discovery methods and analytical instrumentation suited for assay validation and clinical assays together promise to generate better panel tests for disease biomarkers of clinical significance. Hide Biography Dr. Latterich has nearly 20 years of academic and commercial and leadership experience and features an accomplished research career focused on the proteomics-based discovery of novel biomarkers in oncology, respiratory disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Martin is currently CSO at BioScale, a Lexington, MA, based biotechnology corporation commercializing a novel acoustic biomarker quantification platform. Most recently Martin served as a Professor at the Proteogenomics Research Institute for Systems Medicine in San Diego, where his laboratory used proteomics and genomics to discover novel biomarkers of cancer and degenerative disease though a systems biology approach that includes proteomics. He is also the CSO, co-founder and a board member for the non-profit Nicholas Conor Institute for Pediatric Cancer Research. Martin's work at the institute included designing new technologies to enable the better treatment of children with cancer, using personalized medicine technology to match their unique genetic make-up and tumor physiology to available treatment options. He previously served on the faculty of the University of Montreal, McGill University and the Salk Institute. His grant-funded work has been recognized by the 2003 Tier I Canada Research Chair, the 1998 Pew Scholar Award and the 1997 Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Award. Dr. Latterich also held senior management positions at several biotechnology companies, including Diversa and Illumina, where he headed the proteomics initiatives. He has made significant contributions to the field of cell biology, clinical biomarker discovery, proteomics and genomics. Among his recent discoveries are biomarkers for cancer, respiratory disease and neurodegenerative disorders. Dr Latterich has edited one book on RNAi, is author on over 34 publications in leading scientific journals and is listed on numerous patent applications. Martin is Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal Proteome Science. He has served on several national and international study sections. He was a postdoctoral fellow in molecular and cell biology in the laboratory of Dr. Randy Schekman at the HHMI and University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Latterich earned his Ph.D. in cell biology and a B.Sc. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Durham University, U.K.

President & CEO of StressMarq Biosciences Inc., a research reagent company with primary product lines in neurodegenerative diseases and cellular stress based in Victoria (BC), Canada. Successful Senior Scientific Business Executive with demonstrated expertise growing markets ... revenues, product pipelines and expanding technical organizations into new business opportunities. Educational and business management experience in global markets, with quantified success in moving technical businesses into new international arenas. Author of numerous peer-reviewed articles, and holder of several patents.

Judd W. Moul is James H. Semans, MD Professor of Surgery, Division of Urologic Surgery, and Director of the Duke Prostate Center, Duke Cancer Institute at Duke University Medical Center. Prior to joining Duke, he was Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of ... the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland and an attending Urologic Oncologist at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) in Washington, DC. In addition, he was Director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR); a Congress-mandated research program of the Department of Defense based at USUHS and WRAMC. In 2004, he completed a 26-year U.S. Army career, retiring as a full Colonel in the Medical Corps, and became Chief of the Division of Urologic Surgery at Duke. Serving as Chief from 2004 to 2011, he brought innovation and growth to the program. Most notably, he started the Duke Prostate Center, expanded the urology residency training program through a novel collaboration with the Department of Defense and was able to maintain Duke Urology as a top 10 program in the nation throughout his tenure. Dr Moul completed his Urologic Oncology Fellowship at Duke University and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Pennsylvania State University. He earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha. Dr Moul currently serves on the editorial boards of Prostate Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, BJU International, American Journal of Mens Health, Brazilian Journal of Urology, World Journal of Urology, and Oncology REALTIME. He has published over 500 medical and scientific manuscripts and book chapters and has lectured at national and international meetings. He has appeared on ABC, NBC, CNN, PBS, and other media as a prostate cancer authority. Honors and awards received have included the American Medical Associations Young Physicians Section Community Service Award for his national involvement in prostate cancer patient support groups, the Sir Henry Welcome Research Medal and Prize from the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, the prestigious Gold Cystoscope Award by the American Urological Association, the Baron Dominique Jean Larrey Military Surgeon Award for Excellence, the Order of Military Medical Merit from the Surgeon General at the US Army, and the Castle Connolly National Physician of the Year award.

Dr. Perkins joined the Melanoma Research Alliance as Chief Science Officer in 2013 where she is responsible for the development and implementation of the MRA's scientific strategy including its research award program and annual Scientific Retreat. Her interests center on ... translational research including genomics, drug discovery and advancement of novel therapeutic approaches. She became a member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research in late 2015. Prior to joining the MRA, she was Chief Scientific Officer at the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) for five years, following a 16-year research career at two major pharmaceutical companies. While at the MMRF, Dr. Perkins led the expansion of its venture philanthropy activities including its Biotech Investment Award program and development of the scientific direction of its CoMMpasssm longitudinal study. Prior to joining the MMRF, Dr. Perkins was Director of Cancer Research at Bayer Pharmaceuticals, where she contributed to advancing novel targeted therapies toward clinical study including Nexavar® and other innovative signal transduction inhibitors. Prior to joining Bayer, she led a cancer research group at the Schering-Plough Research Institute participating in early-stage programs, including novel target-finding using human genomics data. Dr. Perkins graduated from the University of Michigan with a PhD and MS in Biological Chemistry and conducted postdoctoral studies at Princeton University in the Department of Molecular Biology. She earned her BS in Zoology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Thomas J. Polascik, M.D. is Professor in the Duke Cancer Institute, the Department of Surgery at the Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Dr. Polascik trained at the Brady Urological Institute, the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. After finishing his residency ... under the tutelage of Patrick C. Walsh M.D. he did an oncology fellowship under the mentorship of Alan W. Partin M.D. PhD. He then joined the faculty at Duke University and has been there since 1998. His clinical practice and research interests incorporate both prostate and kidney cancer. In 2006 he developed an interest in the nascent field of focal therapy for prostate cancer. He is the founder and director, the International Symposium on Focal Therapy and Imaging of Prostate and Kidney Cancer that began at Duke in 2008.The symposium has brought together investigators and clinicians from all regions of the world and the meeting alternates between North America and Europe with Co-chairs Drs Jean de la Rosette and Indy Gill. This year marked the eighth annual meeting to be held in the Netherlands in June 2015. Dr. Polascik is the Editor of Imaging and Focal Therapy of Early Prostate Cancer released in 2013. He is the director of the Society of Urologic Oncology program at Duke and also the Genitourinary Program on Focal Therapy at the Duke Cancer Institute.His research interests include the development of image-guided therapies for early prostate cancer, the development of prostate cancer imaging techniques and minimally invasive treatment options for both prostate and kidney cancer. He has published over 250 manuscripts and book chapters. He has held positions on several boards of directors, advisory boards, and has been active in the North Carolina Urological Association and the Board of Directors with the Southeastern American Urological Association.He is an avid ad hoc reviewer for a number of journals and currently holds a NIH R-O1 and Department of Defense Grant for research.