8th Annual Clinical Cancer Genomics Conference Recordings

Antonis Antoniou, PhD is the Professor of Cancer Risk Prediction in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, and Academic Course Director for the MPhil in Epidemiology at the University of Cambridge. He studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of Cambridge before gaining his PhD in Genetic Epidemiology at Cambridge in 2001Professor Antoniou’s primary research focus is the development and application of statistical modelling techniques for addressing clinical questions, and the development of risk prediction tools that are used in clinical practice.  His research focuses on two broad areas: (1) The development and evaluation of risk prediction models for familial breast, ovarian, prostate and other common cancers; and (2) The characterization of cancer risks for genetically susceptible individuals, such as those carrying mutations in the BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, RAD51Cand RAD51D genes. Dr. Antoniou is a leader in the development and evolution of Boadicea, a comprehensive model designed to enable personalized breast cancer risk stratification and informed decision-making on prevention therapies and screening in the general population and in women with family history.

Leslie Biesecker, MD, Is a clinical and molecular geneticist and Chief of the Medical Genomics and Metabolic Genetics Branch at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes of Health. He received his medical training at the University of Illinois, training in pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin, and in clinical and molecular genetics at the University of Michigan. Dr. Biesecker’s research focuses on rare disorders of development and growth, and to new approaches to clinical genomics. His laboratory has elucidated the etiology and natural history of numerous diseases, including Proteus syndrome, PIK3CA-related overgrowth syndrome, TARP syndrome, oculofaciocardiodental syndrome, Lenz microphthalmia syndrome, McKusick-Kaufman syndrome, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Pallister-Hall syndrome and Amish microcephaly, and has contributed to the discovery of many others. Dr. Biesecker is Principle Investigator of the ClinSeq® program, which to date has consented more than 1,000 subjects to participate in whole-genome sequencing, the mission of which is to develop new approaches to analyze and store genomic data, and to identify the best ways to share genetic information with participants and families.

KATHLEEN R. BLAZER, EdD, MS, CGC, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Population Sciences and Director of the Cancer Genomics Education Program, a multifaceted cancer genetics education and training program for physicians, allied health care professionals and post-doctoral researchers, with the Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics at City of Hope National Medical Center. Dr. Blazer has played an integral role in the development, administration and assessment of the NCI-funded initiatives of the CGEP since joining the division in 1998. The outcomes and theoretical framework her education research serve as the cornerstone of the Intensive Course and Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice (CCGCoP), which brings cancer genetics practitioners from diverse practice settings together for professional learning and enduring patient-centered support across the U.S. and internationally. She is recipient of the 2019 American Society of Human Genetics Arno Motulsky-Barton Childs Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Education, in recognition of the scope and reach of the education initiatives of the CGEP since its inception in 1997. She is a member of the American Society of Human Genetics, the National Society of Genetic Counselors, American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Association of Cancer Education, and the National Human Genome Research Institute Inter-Society Coordinating Committee for Practitioner Education in Genomics.

Michael Caligiuri, MD, is president of City of Hope National Medical Center, the Deana and Steve Campbell Physician-in-Chief Distinguished Chair of City of Hope. A renowned physician, scientist, builder, innovator, leader and visionary, Dr. Caligiuri is dedicated to developing the next generation of leading-edge cancer therapies, rapidly delivering them to patients and ultimately curing the disease. Prior to joining City of Hope, he was a physician, scientist and program leader in the cancer program at The Ohio State University. He served as CEO of The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute and he directed The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center for 14 years, recruiting over 300 cancer physicians and scientists. He has been recognized with myriad honors and awards throughout his career, including the Director’s Service Award and the MERIT Award and an Outstanding Investigator Award from the NCI, the John Wayne Clinical Research Award from the Society of Surgical Oncologists, and the Emil J Freireich Award in Clinical Cancer Research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American College of Physicians, and the Alpha Omega Honor Medical Society, as well as an elected member of the Association of American Physicians and the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Dr. Caligiuri was elected to the National Academy of Medicine’s Class of 2018 for his outstanding professional achievements and commitment to service, including his breakthrough discoveries in natural killer cell (NK) leukemia and cutaneous T cell lymphoma. He is also the immediate past president of the American Association for Cancer Research, and he was also recently named a fellow of the AACR.

Yanin Chavarri-Guerra, MD, MSc, is a member of the faculty at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition (INCMNSZ) in Mexico City,, where she is dedicated to the treatment of breast cancer patients. Following her clinical oncology fellowship at INCMNSZ she completed a fellowships in Breast Cancer Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a postdoctoral fellowship in Cancer Genetics at City of Hope in 2017. Dr. Chavarri is a Co-Investigator in the international study “Molecular Genetics Studies of Cancer Patients and Their Relatives¨ from City of Hope, and the Principal Investigator in several investigator-initiated basic and epidemiological studies. Her research focuses on disparities in access to cancer care in low and middle-income countries, particularly focused on breast cancer in Mexico. Currently, Dr. Chavarri-Guerra leads two investigator-initiated studies at INCMNSZ, including a patient navigation study to improve access to supportive care for patients with advanced cancer in Mexico City. She received the National Award for Research in Oncology from the Mexican Society of Oncology (2008), the International Development Award (2010) and the International Innovation Grant (2015) from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Conquer Cancer Foundation (CCF). She is currently a member of the National System of Investigators of the National Council of Science and Technology in Mexico (CONACYT) and of the System of Investigators of the National Institutes of Health of Mexico.

Fergus J. Couch, Ph.D. is a Professor and Chair of the Division of Experimental Pathology and Laboratory Medicine within the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the Mayo Clinic. He holds joint appointments in the Departments of Health Sciences Research and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Couch works on the genetics of breast cancer, with over 300 publications relating to the discovery and clinical characterization of inherited genetic variants in cancer susceptibility genes. Dr. Couch is the principal investigator of the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Registry and is a founder and a member of the coordinating committee of CIMBA (the consortium of investigators of modifiers of BRCA1/2) that is focused on identifying genetic modifiers of breast cancer risk in the BRCA1 carrier population. Similarly, he is the principal investigator of the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Consortium (TNBCC), aimed at understanding the genetic etiology of triple negative breast cancer, and is a long-term contributor to the international Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC). Dr. Couch is a co-founder of the Evidence-based Network for the Interpretation of Germline Mutant Alleles (ENIGMA) consortium that is focused on establishing the clinical relevance of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in BRCA1 and BRCA2. Within ENIGMA, he is coordinating the “Other Predisposition Gene Working Group” in an effort to characterize the risk and penetrance of deleterious mutations and VUS in non-BRCA1/2 predisposition genes. He has also collaborated with investigators from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the University of Pennsylvania to develop the Prospective Registry Of Multi-Plex Testing (PROMPT) for patients with mutations in predisposition genes. Finally, Dr. Couch is a founding member and participant in COMPLEXO, a consortium of investigators aiming to identify additional breast cancer predisposition genes.

David Duggan, PhD, Technical Advisor to the Chief Operating Officer of the Translational Genomics Institute (TGen), is a leading translational genomics researcher and technical analyst with 28 years of scientific expertise and more than a decade of experience advising equity management firms on many of the leading genomics and personalized medicine companies. His discovery-based research and translational genomics interests are focused on the discovery and validation of novel genetic- and or genomic-based biomarkers for complex diseases, including cancer and translating clinically validated and useful findings to improve individual and population risk prediction, early detection, diagnostics, prognostics, and or therapeutic decision-making. With the use of state-of-the-art study designs and advanced genomic technologies, Dr. Duggan’s TGen laboratory has generated data on >300,000 study participants. His lab was among the first groups to propose GWAS studies and published one of the first polygenic risk score papers (Zheng et al., NEJM 2008). He has been an investigator on 26 NIH funded grants and a key member of numerous consortiums including NCI’s Colon Cancer Family Registry Consortium (CCFR), NCI’s Breast Cancer Family Registry (BCFR), NHGRI’s Population Architecture of Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE), NCI’s Women’s Environmental, Cancer, and Radiation Epidemiology (WECARE), NCI’s Genetic Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO), and NCI’s International Consortium on Prostate Cancer Genetics (ICPCG). Dr. Duggan received his Ph.D. in human genetics from the University of Pittsburgh and obtained his post-doctoral training at the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Garber is the Director of the Cancer Genetics and Prevention Disease Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Garber conducts research in clinical cancer genetics, with a special focus in the genetics of breast cancer. She has played a major role in the development of national guidelines in cancer genetics. She is also a leader in research into the characteristics and treatment of triple negative or basal-like breast cancer, the most common form in women with BRCA1 mutations. Her translational research focuses on the evaluation of novel agents targeting DNA repair defects in breast cancer, including PARP inhibitors for treatment and prevention of breast cancer and other BRCA-associated cancers.

 In 2011-2012, Dr. Garber was the President of American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the largest organization of cancer researchers in the world. She is a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board and was recently elected to the Institute of Medicine.

Veda N. Giri, MD is a Professor in Medical Oncology and Cancer Biology at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University. She is a medical oncologist with a clinical and research interest in inherited cancer risk assessment. Dr. Giri has recently assumed the position of Director of Cancer Risk Assessment and Clinical Cancer Genetics at Thomas Jefferson University, where her role will be to lead an integrated and comprehensive effort in inherited cancer risk assessment and conduct studies focused on genetic evaluation of cancer risk. Her clinical efforts will be focused on genetic evaluation of inherited risk for GU cancers, specifically prostate, kidney, and upper tract urothelial cancers. Research studies will encompass genetic characterization of cancer risk using sequencing technologies, molecular signatures, and novel biomarkers to ultimately reduce cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Her research also has a strong focus in cancer disparities.

Dr. Giri received her medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, and proceeded to complete her residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Hematology-Oncology at the University of Michigan. She then completed advanced training in molecular cancer genetics at Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC). From 2006-2014, she directed prostate cancer risk assessment at FCCC, developing studies focused on evaluating the role of genetic markers in prostate cancer risk assessment. Dr. Giri has served on national committees including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Prostate Cancer Early Detection Panel and NIH PDQ® Cancer Genetics Editorial Board, contributing expertise in cancer risk assessment and prostate cancer genetics.

STACY GRAY, MD, AM, is a Professor and Deputy Director for the Center for Precision Medicine, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Beckman Research Institute. She is also Chief of City of Hope Division Clinical Cancer Genomics, where she leads the clinical, research and educational initiatives of the program.  Dr. Gray's research is focused on realizing the promise of precision cancer medicine for all patients through translational genomics. The Gray lab focuses on improving access to genomic testing and targeted therapies, developing cancer prevention and screening strategies, eliminating care disparities, and rapidly translating innovative and effective new technologies into the clinic through interventions to improve the delivery of precision cancer medicine. Dr. Gray holds multiple leadership roles in a National Institutes of Health research consortium, and has a strong track record of research funding with support from the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Cancer Institute, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, American Cancer Society, and American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Stephen Gruber, MD, PhD, MPH is Director of the Center of Precision Medicine at City of Hope Medical Center. Dr. Gruber is a board-certified medical oncologist, cancer geneticist and epidemiologist whose research focuses on genetic and environmental contributions to cancer. His particular research interests include the genetic epidemiology of cancer, with emphasis on colorectal cancer; the molecular pathogenesis of cancer, integrated with genetic epidemiology; methods in genetic and molecular epidemiology; and clinical cancer genetics and translational research in cancer prevention. He has received a number of honors and awards and is the author of  more than 158 peer-reviewed publications related to his work in the field of cancer genetics, particularly as it relates to colorectal cancer. In addition to serving on editorial boards for several professional journals, Dr. Gruber is active in national organizations. Since 2005, he has been Chair of the Colorectal Family Registries Advisory Panel for the National Cancer Institute and for the past three years chaired the Cancer Genetics Education Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Gruber obtained his Master of Public Health Degree from Yale University in 1986. After completing his Doctorate Degree in Epidemiology at Yale in 1988, he obtained his al Medical Degree from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1992, where he also completed his internship and residency. He completed fellowships in medical oncology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and in clinical medical genetics at the University of Michigan.

Kent Hoskins, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he is director of Cancer Genetics and co-Leader of the Breast Cancer Research Group in the University of Illinois Cancer Center.  He is a Medical Oncologist who specializes in the treatment of breast cancer and genetic evaluation of individuals with hereditary breast cancer risk. Early in his career he was part of a team at the University of Michigan and then at the University of Pennsylvania that was involved in efforts to clone the BRCA1 gene. . His work involves efforts to identify the biological underpinnings of the poor outcomes observed in African-American women with breast cancer. Currently his research focuses on developing a population health strategy for identifying individuals with hereditary cancer risk in the primary care setting, with an emphasis on health disparities.

Beth Y. Karlan, MD is nationally renowned leader in the diagnosis and treatment of women's reproductive cancers. She is referred complex and difficult cases from around the country. She is Director of Gynecologic Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and one of the four gynecologic oncologists heading the international referral and treatment program for Ovarian Cancer at the Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Karlan’s research focuses on ovarian cancer specific biomarkers for early detection, prognostication and targeted/individualized therapy, and inherited cancer susceptibility. She is a recipient of numerous awards and honors for excellence in the fields of cancer treatment and research. and has published over 80 articles, books and abstracts. She also serves as the Director of the Gilda Radner Ovarian Detection Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. A noted speaker, Dr. Karlan has spoken as guest lecturer at medical centers and conventions throughout the world. She serves as an editorial consultant and reviewer for numerous cancer and obstetrics and gynecology journals, including the Journal of Women's Health and Gynecologic Oncology.

Seema Khan, MD is co-Leader of the Cancer Prevention Program and a surgical oncologist. She has specific interest in biomarkers of breast cancer risk that can be identified in minimal samples of breast epithelium. Her research projects include investigation of RNA and microRNA biomarkers in benign biopsy material, that will serve to better stratify breast cancer risk, and as targets for specific prevention interventions. She has conducted early phase prevention trials, which currently focus on the evaluation of topical transdermal drug delivery to the breast. Her laboratory interests include the investigation of progesterone signaling in the breast, in the context of early events that relate to cancer prevention. She is the chair of a Phase III ECOG trial of local therapy for the intact primary tumor in women with Stage IV breast cancer (E2108), and of a Phase II trial testing the use of MRI and DCIS Score in women with DCIS.

Elisabeth King, RN, FNP, AOCNP, AGN is a nurse practitioner and the senior manager of Genomic Cancer Risk Counseling in the Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics at City of Hope. Ms. King joined City of Hope in 2018 from Texas Oncology, where she helped lead and support the Advanced Practice Provider and Genetics programs throughout the state. She is a family nurse practitioner and also holds advanced nursing certifications in oncology and genetics. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology with a focus on genetics and biotechnology from University of Texas at Austin. She earned her master’s degree in nursing at Frontier Nursing University. King is an alumnus and clinical faculty member of the City of Hope Intensive Course in Cancer Risk Assessment.

BITA NEHORAY, MS, CGC, is a licensed board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics. She received her Master’s degree in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Stanford University. Ms. Nehoray joined the City of Hope Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics in 2012. As a Senior Genetic Counselor she provides cancer genetics services for patients and families suspected to have a hereditary predisposition to cancer, with a focus in Li-Fraumeni syndrome and Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential. Current research projects include understanding cancer risk, penetrance, prevalence, and clinical outcomes for individuals with TP53 pathogenic variants as part of the LiFT UP study, evaluating the spectrum of germline variants in Israeli breast cancer patients, and assessing community-based provider experiences with polygenic risk scores in genetic cancer risk assessment. She also serves on the genetic counseling advisory committee for the Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Association and is a member of the ClinGen TP53 Variant Curation Expert Panel. She is fluent in Spanish and Farsi and is committed to advancing the provision of cancer genetics services to medically underserved and culturally diverse populations. She is faculty for the City of Hope Intensive Course in Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment. She is an active member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Southern California Genetic Counselors, and the American Society of Human Genetics.

Olufunmilayo Falusi Olopade, MD, FACP, OON is the Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics and founding director of the Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics at the University of Chicago Medicine. She is an expert in cancer risk assessment and individualized treatment for the most aggressive forms of breast cancer, having developed novel management strategies based on an understanding of the altered genes in individual patients. She stresses comprehensive risk reducing strategies and prevention in high-risk populations, as well as earlier detection through advanced imaging technologies. Dr. Olopade has received numerous honors and awards, including honorary degrees from North Central, Dominican, Bowdoin and Princeton universities. She is also a recipient of the Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist and Exceptional Mentor Award, an American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professorship, a MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellowship and Officer of the Order of the Niger Award. Dr. Olopade is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. She currently serves on the board of directors for the American Board of Internal Medicine, the National Cancer Advisory Board, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Cancer IQ and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

COLIN PRITCHARD, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Washington and Program Director for Cancer Precision Diagnostics for the Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine. He also serves as the Co-Director of the Genetics and Solid Tumors Laboratory that services the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. The Pritchard laboratory focuses on oncology molecular diagnostics, particularly the source and utility of cell-free nucleic acid biomarkers in blood, and the development of innovative molecular diagnostics for the identification of DNA repair gene mutations that can guide therapeutic decision-making. His clinical work focuses on applications of next-generation sequencing gene panels for cancer risk assessment and precision treatment. He has led the development and implementation of the ColoSeq™ Lynch and Polyposis Syndrome Panel and the UW-OncoPlex™ Cancer Gene Panel in current clinical use for cancer patients and their families. He is a longstanding distinguished faculty member of the City of Hope Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice. In 2021 Dr. Pritchard was awarded the C2 Catalyst for Precision Medicine Award from Scientific American.

Mark Robson, MD is Chief of the Breast Medicine Service in the Department of Medicine at Memorial Hospital in New York, an attending physician on Breast Medicine and Clinical Genetics Services, and a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His clinical research has concentrated on the optimal application of germline information to the management of cancer patients, particularly those with breast cancer. He has been a lead investigator for a number of trials of PARP inhibitors in patients with BRCA associated breast cancer. He is currently developing new models for the acquisition of germline information, including "mainstreaming" through test ordering by primary oncology providers and broad genomic screening in the context of somatic mutation profiling. He is also investigating the use of polygenic risk scores in facilitating decision-making among women with or without an inherited predisposition. Dr. Robson serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and is an associate editor for the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and Genetics in Medicine. He is also the past chair of the Ethics Committee of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and has served several terms on the ASCO Cancer Prevention Committee and its Cancer Genetics subcommittee. Dr. Robson graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, Virginia, and did his internal medicine residency and hematology-oncology fellowship training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC.

Iris Romero, MD, MS is an Associate Professor and research scientist in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Dean for Diversity and Inclusion for the Biological Sciences Division of the University of Chicago.  Since joining the faculty in 2007, Dr. Romero has successfully merged a career in cancer biology with clinical application to provide cutting edge, quality healthcare for women.  Her clinical practice is focused on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, and includes care for women with genetic predisposition for cancer and general obstetrics and gynecology. She also has a translational research lab aimed at identifying agents, like metformin, that can be repurposed to target the ovarian cancer tumor microenvironment. She has received NIH funding through the national Reproductive Scientist Development Program. Her research has been published in top scientific journals including Nature, Obstetrics & Gynecology, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gynecologic Oncology. Dr. Romero attended University of New Mexico for medical school and completed OB/Gyn residency at University of Utah and she completed training in hereditary cancer genetics through the City of Hope.

Dr. Slavin is Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs for Oncology at Myriad Genetics. He is a physician-scientist, triple-board-certified in clinical genetics, molecular diagnostics and pediatrics. Most recently, he served as assistant professor in the departments of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research and Population Sciences at City of Hope National Medical Center. Dr. Slavin graduated medical school with Alpha-Omega-Alpha-honors from the University of South Florida. He completed his residency programs at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio; this training included a postdoctoral research year in genetic epidemiology. He has also completed graduate course work towards a Masters degree in clinical research through the University of Southern California. He is an active member of the American Association of Cancer Research, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the American Society of Human Genetics, the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer, and is a fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. He has served on National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)committees for both the genetics of and screening for colorectal cancer. He has served on three ClinGen expert working group committees for variant classification of breast, gastrointestinal and ovarian cancer predisposition genes. Focused on expanding genetics education for cancer care providers, Dr. Slavin has helped shape both ASCO University as well as City of Hope’s hereditary genomics training program. He is a well-published researcher in the field of medical genetics, including over 60 journal articles, multiple book chapters, and numerous presentations at national and international medical meetings. He has been involved in many national cancer research grants, and was a 2018 National Institutes of Health (NIH) K08-career development grant awardee.

Jeffrey N. Weitzel, MD, is board Certified in Medical Oncology and Clinical Genetics, and founded the Clinical Cancer Genomics Community Research Network. He co-founded the Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice with Dr. Blazer. A Breast Cancer Research Foundation Scholar and an honorary Professor of Oncology for the Latin American School of Oncology, he is also the ASCO Conquer Cancer Research Professor in Breast Cancer Disparities. At the vanguard of precision prevention, Dr. Weitzel’s multidisciplinary clinical, research, and training experience emphasize translational research in cancer disparities, genomic cancer risk assessment, chemoprevention, targeted therapy, clinical and psychosocial outcomes, genetic epidemiology and health services research, with a focus on underserved populations. Dr. Weitzel received the American Society of Human Genetics Arno Motulsky-Barton Childs Award for Excellence in Human Genetics Education.