Dr. James Allison earned the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with Dr. Tasuku Honjo, “for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.” He is the Executive Director of the Immunotherapy Platform at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Allison studies the regulation of T cell responses and developing strategies for cancer immunotherapy. His research led to the development of the first immune checkpoint blockade therapy approved by the FDA.
Dr. James Allison earned the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which he shared with Dr. Tasuku Honjo, “for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.” He is the Executive Director of the Immunotherapy Platform at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Allison studies the regulation of T cell responses and developing strategies for cancer immunotherapy. His research led to the development of the first immune checkpoint blockade therapy approved by the FDA.
David Gandara, Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of California, Davis. He is the co-director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Senior Advisor to the Director at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was recently appointed Adjunct Clinical Professor, Translational and Clinical Research Program at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and Chief Medical Officer for International Society of Liquid Biopsy (ISLB), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the science and clinical application of liquid biopsy in cancer diagnosis and therapy. He is an internationally known clinician-scientist and lung cancer thought leader and has published over 450 peer-reviewed papers. He has led many notable research projects in lung cancer, including early therapeutics trials through an N01-sponsored award, cooperative group trials as past-chair of the SWOG Lung Committee and multi-institutional translational science projects such as clinical director of the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) lung program in collaboration with The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center. Dr. Gandara has been selected for many awards and honors, including the lifetime Scientific Award from the International Association for Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), the Team Science Award from the Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, and the Trajectory Achievement Award from the ISLB. He is current principal investigator for a National Cancer Institute UG1 award to UCDCCC for cancer clinical trials, co-leader of Lung MAP, a unique NCI-sponsored public-private partnership for new drug development in lung cancer and is founding co-chair and current member of the NCI-directed Investigational Drug Steering Committee (IDSC). Dr. Gandara is past Editor-in-Chief of the journal Clinical Lung Cancer. He served as president of the IASLC from 2009-2011 and as treasurer from 2013-2017. He is a prior member of the board of directors and secretary-treasurer of ASCO. In 2017, Gandara received the Giants of Cancer Care Award in lung cancer.
David Gandara, Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of California, Davis. He is the co-director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Senior Advisor to the Director at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was recently appointed Adjunct Clinical Professor, Translational and Clinical Research Program at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center and Chief Medical Officer for International Society of Liquid Biopsy (ISLB), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the science and clinical application of liquid biopsy in cancer diagnosis and therapy. He is an internationally known clinician-scientist and lung cancer thought leader and has published over 450 peer-reviewed papers. He has led many notable research projects in lung cancer, including early therapeutics trials through an N01-sponsored award, cooperative group trials as past-chair of the SWOG Lung Committee and multi-institutional translational science projects such as clinical director of the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) lung program in collaboration with The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center. Dr. Gandara has been selected for many awards and honors, including the lifetime Scientific Award from the International Association for Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), the Team Science Award from the Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, and the Trajectory Achievement Award from the ISLB. He is current principal investigator for a National Cancer Institute UG1 award to UCDCCC for cancer clinical trials, co-leader of Lung MAP, a unique NCI-sponsored public-private partnership for new drug development in lung cancer and is founding co-chair and current member of the NCI-directed Investigational Drug Steering Committee (IDSC). Dr. Gandara is past Editor-in-Chief of the journal Clinical Lung Cancer. He served as president of the IASLC from 2009-2011 and as treasurer from 2013-2017. He is a prior member of the board of directors and secretary-treasurer of ASCO. In 2017, Gandara received the Giants of Cancer Care Award in lung cancer.
Dr. Hayes is the Stuart B. Padnos Professor in Breast Cancer at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center. He served as the past President of ASCO from 2015 to 2018 and is a world recognized thought leader in the field.
Dr. Padmanee Sharma is a Professor in the departments of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology, and the Scientific Director for the Immunotherapy Platform at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is also the Director of Scientific Programs for the James P. Allison Institute at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research enables development of novel immunotherapy strategies for the treatment of cancer patients.
Dr. Padmanee Sharma is a Professor in the departments of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology, and the Scientific Director for the Immunotherapy Platform at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is also the Director of Scientific Programs for the James P. Allison Institute at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research enables development of novel immunotherapy strategies for the treatment of cancer patients.
Dr. Tuveson serves as the Director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center, the Chief Scientist for the Lustgarten Foundation, Advisory Board Member for the National Cancer Institute, and is a medical staff affiliate at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He was the former President for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Dr. Tuveson’s work as the Director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is widely considered as leading the field for pancreatic cancer precision medicine models.
Dr. Tuveson serves as the Director of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center, the Chief Scientist for the Lustgarten Foundation, Advisory Board Member for the National Cancer Institute, and is a medical staff affiliate at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He was the former President for the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Dr. Tuveson’s work as the Director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is widely considered as leading the field for pancreatic cancer precision medicine models.
