13th Annual Clinical Trials in Oncology West Coast 2026

The West Coast’s leading Clinical Trials in Oncology Conference showcasing the most efficient methods, strategies and solutions of running oncology trials.

28 - 29

April

2026
  • San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront, Burlingame, CA, USA
  • Complimentary
  • Why attend?
  • Agenda
  • Advisory Board
  • Speakers
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  • Sponsors
  • Media Centre
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Why attend?

WHAT TO EXPECT FOR 2025?

What do we have for 2025?

We have introduced and dedicated a whole new stream on patient recruitment and engagement which focuses on harnessing strategizes, communication and latest trends in Oncology clinical trials. The event will include the top industry experts to share their latest struggles and successes.

 

250+

Attendees

20+

Exhibitors

20+

Speakers

250+

Attendees

20+

Exhibitors

20+

Speakers

See What It's All About

Agenda

  • 28 Apr 2026
  • 29 Apr 2026
Expand All

Streams

Stream one

STREAM A: Clinical Operations

Stream two

STREAM B: Patient Recruitment and Engagement

11:30 AM

Enhancing the patient journey in oncology trials: Patient insights and practical innovation

  • Considering the full patient burden landscape when planning oncology clinical trials to alleviate patient burden effectively
  • Recognizing disparities in burden and understanding differences across patient populations
  • Incorporating patient input when designing protocols to ensure that needs are met

Speakers

Anupama Walia
Senior Clinical Operations Leader, Genentech

12 PM

Reserved for Biorce

12:30 PM

FIRESIDE CHAT: Speeding up oncology recruitment timelines by addressing key recruitment barriers and utilizing smarter enrollment

  • Ensuring effective communication with patient populations to raise awareness of your trial and increase engagement
  • Providing adequate material to ensure patients feel fully informed and supported during enrollment processes
  • Driving patient-focused recruitment strategies to reduce study timelines

Speakers

Amanda Chen
Clinical Operations, Study Lead, IDEAYA Biosciences

1 PM

Putting Sites First in Early Oncology: What Integrated Site Networks Are Telling Us

Key Takeaways:

  • Understand what oncology site networks are telling sponsors and CROs about enrollment, engagement and retention in early phase trials
  • Learn why putting site needs and operational realities at the forefront of trial design improves execution and patient experience
  • See how practical, site‑first operational design decisions can accelerate start‑up and improve overall trial performance

Speakers

Jim Routt
Chief Operating Officer, IQVIA Biotech

1:30 PM

Lunch and networking

2:30 PM

WORKSHOP: Responsible AI in oncology clinical trials: Applying the AI rights initiative to recruitment, patient data, and patient trust

Speakers

Christine von Raesfeld
Patient Advocate, The Light Collective
Jin Lee
Founding Board Member, CURE NDD
Gay Crawford
Patient Partner Panel, Heal AI Lab (HealthCare ethical Assessment Lab for Artificial Intelligence), Stanford University

3 PM

Reserved for Precision for Medicine

Speakers

Nicholas Richardson
Vice President, Clinical Development, Medical Science, Precision for Medicine

3:30 PM

Considered approaches to streamlining oncology clinical trial design to reduce patient burden

Speakers

Catherine Caserza
Director, Clinical Operations, Daiichi Sankyo

4 PM

Afternoon refreshments and networking

4:30 PM

Analyzing patient adherence to drug therapy effectively: A practical guide to methods and metrics for increased efficiency in oncology drug trials

Speakers

Ekema Anjorin
Research Program Manager, Uphealth Foundation Medical and Research Center

5 PM

PATIENT VOICE My Story: IMPORTANCE OF MEDIA, PERSONAL STORIES AND OUTREACH

  • How clinical trials shaped my journey through breast cancer at 31, (NHL), and eye disease
  • Understanding why clinical trials matter for patients
  • The role of media and storytelling in awareness, understanding, and trust

Speakers

Gay Crawford
Patient Partner Panel, Heal AI Lab (HealthCare ethical Assessment Lab for Artificial Intelligence), Stanford University

5:30 PM

Chairperson’s closing remarks

Speakers

Keya Watkins
Keya Watkins, President-Oncology, Worldwide Clinical Trials

END OF DAY 1 AND NETWORKING DRINKS

8 AM

Registration and refreshments

8:50 AM

Chairperson’s opening remarks

Speakers

Keya Watkins
Keya Watkins, President-Oncology, Worldwide Clinical Trials

9 AM

KEYNOTE PANEL: Practical considerations for navigating the regulatory landscape of global trials in 2026

  • Keeping compliant with evolving global, regional, and local regulation to minimize timelines and avoid costly delays
  • Overviewing new regulation and assessing the impact on conducting oncology clinical trials
  • Ensuring vendor oversight to ensure regulatory compliance for smooth running of oncology clinical trials
  • Considering Project Optimus early in development programs to keep in line with regulatory demands

Speakers

Keya Watkins
Keya Watkins, President-Oncology, Worldwide Clinical Trials
Catherine Caserza
Director, Clinical Operations, Daiichi Sankyo
Bruno Larida
Chief Business Officer, Omios Biologics
Anupama Walia
Senior Clinical Operations Leader, Genentech

9:30 AM

Reserved for ICON

10 AM

Addressing and overcoming challenges in cell therapies to conduct successful trials

  • Tackling challenges in cell and gene therapy studies to reduce timelines and ensure quality
  • Overviewing innovation and available technology to accelerate and streamline study processes
  • Partnering with vendors effectively to ensure specialized patient selection to enhance study start-up

Speakers

Anna Pavlova
Senior Medical Director, Orca Bio

10:30 AM

Reserved for Mercalis

11 AM

Morning refreshments and networking

11:30 AM

Planning ahead to mitigate risk and stick to tight timelines

  • Simplifying trial design and procedures to reduce operational complexity
  • Implementing RBQM strategies to identify and mitigate roadblocks to reduce delays

Speakers

Ruimei Li
Sr. Medical Director, Clinical Development, Oncolytics Biotech

12 PM

Reserved for Scimega

12:30 PM

Fine-tuning biomarker selection to enhance oncology drug development

  • Enhancing biomarker selection to speed up oncology trial timelines
  • Road mapping how to identify effective biomarkers to enhance oncology clinical trials
  • Understanding regulatory considerations surrounding biomarker qualification

Speakers

Ann Mongan
Executive Director, Clinical Biomarkers and Translational Research, Bristol Myers Squibb
Hongda Zhao
Director, Global Regulatory Science, Precision Medicine & Digital Health, Bristol Myers Squibb

1 PM

Reserved for Worldwide Clinical Trials

1:30 PM

Lunch and networking

2:30 PM

FIRESIDE CHAT: Site Spotlight: Tackling operational roadblocks and exploring solutions for seamless oncology clinical trials

Speakers

Niloufar Abdollahi
Clinical Research Manager, University of California San Francisco
Emily Nurminen
Associate Director, University of California San Francisco

3 PM

Reserved for Reserved for Parexel

Speakers

Cesar Alberto Eduardo Carrasco, MD PhD
Senior Medical Director, Parexel

3:30 PM

TITLE TBC

Speakers

Bruno Larida
Chief Business Officer, Omios Biologics

4 PM

Afternoon refreshments and networking

4:30 PM

From mechanism to medicine: Biomarkers, functional genomics, and rational combinations to overcome therapeutic resistance in oncology

Speakers

Khyati Shah
Translational Oncology Lead, Pfizer

5 PM

Outsourcing 101: How to effectively outsource when running a small biotech

  • Aligning in-house capacity to outsourcing needs to ensure your biotech sticks to budget
  • Understanding when it is time to outsource to ensure sufficient oversight and management of all vendors
  • Looking ahead to identify your biotech needs to integrate services seamlessly into current processes

Speakers

Brian Frenzel
President, CEO, and Director, Tosk

5:30 PM

Chairperson’s closing remarks

Speakers

Keya Watkins
Keya Watkins, President-Oncology, Worldwide Clinical Trials

END OF DAY 1 AND NETWORKING DRINKS

8 AM

Registration and refreshments

8:50 AM

Chairperson’s opening remarks

Speakers

Keya Watkins
Keya Watkins, President-Oncology, Worldwide Clinical Trials

9 AM

Interactive Speaker-Hosted Roundtable Discussions

Interactive roundtable sessions offer a unique opportunity to come together with your peers to share best practice and develop solutions to critical challenges facing the industry as a whole. Each discussion will be led by a table moderator and will focus on a different challenge within oncology clinical trials. Roundtables are an exciting, interactive way to build your personal network and learn from the experience and expertise of others.

After 30 minutes, delegates will have the opportunity to swap and choose a different table, and each roundtable will run twice.

Roundtable 1 Title TBC

Reserved for RadMD

Roundtable 2 How to work with smaller budgets without compromising quality in oncology clinical trials
Roundtable 3 Is AI overhyped? Understanding how to incorporate AI to enhance trial processes

Radha Duttagupta, Vice President, Clinical Affairs, Nucleix

Roundtable 4 Balancing quality, speed and cost in complex oncology trials

Umar Hayat Ph.D., Founder, CEO, Accanito Inc.

 

Speakers

Radha Duttagupta
VP, Clinical Affairs, Nucleix
Umar Hayat
Vice President, CMC and Supply Chain, Union Therapeutics

10 AM

Morning refreshments and networking

10:45 AM

Planning and executing patient-centric clinical studies: Lessons learned from the WISDOM Study platform for personalized breast cancer screening

  • Incorporating patient-centric strategies in trial designs to reduce patient burden
  • Overview of new innovations that can be included in studies to increase patient centricity
  • Adopting a patient-first mindset when designing trial protocols for patient-friendly studies

Speakers

Irene Acerbi Soto
Clinical Implementations & Operations Manager, University of California San Francisco

11:15 AM

Reserved for Worldwide Clinical Trials

11:45 AM

Adaptive trial designs and RWE: Leveraging the FDA’s streamlined processes for accelerated approvals

  • Understanding how to use Real World Evidence to strengthen submissions and ensure approval in a timely manner
  • Overviewing regulation to ensure compliance and reduce delays in clinical trial submissions
  • Identifying challenges in adaptive trial designs to mitigate risk and ensure successful running of your oncology trial

Speakers

Jeannie Hou
Senior Vice President of Clinical Development, Replimune

12:15 PM

Reserved for Worldwide Clinical Trials

12:45 PM

Lunch and networking

2 PM

Oncology trials as a start-up: Identifying challenges and pain points to overcome and conduct effective oncology clinical trials

  • Understanding the unique challenges biotechs face to reduce roadblocks and ensure clinical trial success
  • Weighing up in-house capacity versus budget to ensure effective outsourcing decisions
  • Working with limited resources to ensure regulatory compliance and minimize roadblocks

Speakers

Radha Duttagupta
VP, Clinical Affairs, Nucleix

2:30 PM

Reserved for event sponsor

3 PM

AI implementation in oncology clinical trials: the good, the bad and the ugly

  • Understanding what innovation is available and how this can improve clinical trial processes
  • Weighing up resources to effectively integrate AI to speed up trial timelines without taking away from budget plans
  • Incorporating AI successfully by preparing internal teams and implementing a solid integration strategy

Speakers

Saurabh Paliwal
Senior Director, Arsenal Biosciences

3:30 PM

Afternoon refreshments and networking

3:45 PM

PRIZE DRAW

Visit our exhibitors’ booths throughout the day and collect stamps in order to enter our Prize Draw and be in for a chance of winning Apple devices or Amazon giftcards. The Prize Draw will take place in the Exhibition Hall. Make sure you don’t miss out!

4 PM

Overviewing the current investor landscape to navigate and secure investment for oncology clinical trials

  • Understanding the current investment climate to target and pitch your study to the right investors
  • Reducing fundraising timelines through effective investor communication to ensure complex study plans are understood
  • How to expand your professional network to connect with new investors and secure funding for oncology clinical trials

Speakers

Lucrecia Marquez-Rosado
MD., PhD, Co-Founder, LuMiAL Bio

4:30 PM

Pragmatic trial design: How to balance the risk and reward for patients to get the key endpoints without burdening the exploratory

Speakers

Robert E Neal II
PhD, Vice President, Medical and Translational Sciences, Galvanize Therapeutics

Engineering Oncology Trials Upstream: De-Risking Development Through Patient-Specific Translational Modeling

  • Reframing clinical readiness in oncology: Why trial success is increasingly determined upstream—through mechanistic validation, patient stratification, and translational alignment before first-in-human dosing.
  • Clinical Trials in a Dish platform: How patient-derived iPSC and organoid disease models can be deployed to predict responder populations, evaluate combination strategies, and inform biomarker-guided trial design.
  • Leveraging academic ecosystems: Integrating biobanks, molecular datasets, and investigator networks to accelerate translational insight and enable more targeted, recruitment-efficient oncology trials.
  • Capital-efficient development strategies: Using functional precision modeling to reduce late-stage attrition, optimize cohort sizing, and deploy clinical budgets with greater signal-to-cost discipline.

Speakers

Mukhtar Ahmed
Director, Project & Portfolio Strategy, Greenstone Biosciences

5:30 PM

TITLE TBC

Speakers

Feng Wang-Johanning
CEO, SunnyBay Biotech
Gary Johanning
CSO, SunnyBay Biotech

Speakers

Select a speaker to learn more

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Umar Hayat
Vice President, CMC and Supply Chain, Union Therapeutics

Umar Hayat, Ph.D. is VP of CMC and Supply Chain at Union Therapeutics and has more than two decades of experience in pharmaceutical development, manufacturing and supply chain. He held senior level positions with Relypsa (acquired by Galenica for 1.52B US$), Anacor (acquired by Pfizer for 5.2B US$) and Transcept Pharmaceuticals (revers merger with Paratek). He played a pivotal role in the development and commercialization of Veltassa® (USA and EU), a treatment for hyperkalemia, Intermezzo® for MOTN insomnia, Kerydin® for onychomycosis, and Eucrisa® for atopic dermatitis. Dr. Hayat is managing partner of Revive Pharm USA. He is also a co-founder of U&D Pharma and working on Replyte Gel, a treatment for anogenital warts. Dr. Hayat received his Ph.D. in process engineering from INP-Toulouse, France and Post-Doctoral Fellowship from Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Canada. He received M.Sc. Chemistry degree from Punjab University, Institute of Chemistry

Session Details:

Interactive Speaker-Hosted Roundtable Discussions

2026-04-29, 9:00 AM

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Saurabh Paliwal
Senior Director, Arsenal Biosciences

Session Details:

AI implementation in oncology clinical trials: the good, the bad and the ugly

2026-04-29, 3:00 PM

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Ann Mongan
Executive Director, Clinical Biomarkers and Translational Research, Bristol Myers Squibb

Ann Mongan is a Subject Matter Expert in translational research and biomarker development, with her most recent role being Executive Director of Translational Research at Bristol Myers Squibb. With nearly two decades of experience, she has worked on more than 10 drugs (including ibrutinib and mezigdomide), from IND through all phases of development. Her experience spans multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology, neuroscience, and autoimmune diseases, and includes work at both large companies (BMS, AbbVie, Amgen) and small companies (Annexon). She received a PhD in Bioinformatics from UC San Diego and is also an expert in AI/ML and the integration of generative AI applications into science.

Session Details:

Fine-tuning biomarker selection to enhance oncology drug development

2026-04-28, 12:30 PM

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Hongda Zhao
Director, Global Regulatory Science, Precision Medicine & Digital Health, Bristol Myers Squibb

Hongda began his career as a research scientist in the biotechnology industry, specializing in small‑molecule drug discovery. He later transitioned into Regulatory Affairs, where he has focused on in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) and companion diagnostics (CDx). At Bristol Myers Squibb, he supports therapeutic asset development through the development of precision medicine and digital health regulatory strategies.

Session Details:

Fine-tuning biomarker selection to enhance oncology drug development

2026-04-28, 12:30 PM

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Gay Crawford
Patient Partner Panel, Heal AI Lab (HealthCare ethical Assessment Lab for Artificial Intelligence), Stanford University

The  last 50 years I have worked to  address cancer disparities, advocacy -personally and nationally- for patient care, research, and to develop programs to save lives and improve outcomes for cancer patients and families. My work career in journalism and community relations was fulfilling, but after my diagnosis of breast cancer in 1974 and lymphoma in 2004, I have worked with thousands of patients as a volunteer, advocating for individuals and leading efforts to address compassionate care, access to services, prevention, treatment and research in the cancer space.

Session Details:

WORKSHOP: Responsible AI in oncology clinical trials: Applying the AI rights initiative to recruitment, patient data, and patient trust

2026-04-28, 2:30 PM

Session Details:

PATIENT VOICE My Story: IMPORTANCE OF MEDIA, PERSONAL STORIES AND OUTREACH

2026-04-28, 5:00 PM

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Jin Lee
Founding Board Member, CURE NDD

Session Details:

WORKSHOP: Responsible AI in oncology clinical trials: Applying the AI rights initiative to recruitment, patient data, and patient trust

2026-04-28, 2:30 PM

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Catherine Caserza
Director, Clinical Operations, Daiichi Sankyo

Session Details:

KEYNOTE PANEL: Practical considerations for navigating the regulatory landscape of global trials in 2026

2026-04-28, 9:00 AM

Session Details:

Considered approaches to streamlining oncology clinical trial design to reduce patient burden

2026-04-28, 3:30 PM

View In Agenda
Next speaker
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Robert E Neal II
PhD, Vice President, Medical and Translational Sciences, Galvanize Therapeutics

Session Details:

Pragmatic trial design: How to balance the risk and reward for patients to get the key endpoints without burdening the exploratory

2026-04-29, 4:30 PM

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Anupama Walia
Senior Clinical Operations Leader, Genentech

Session Details:

KEYNOTE PANEL: Practical considerations for navigating the regulatory landscape of global trials in 2026

2026-04-28, 9:00 AM

Session Details:

Enhancing the patient journey in oncology trials: Patient insights and practical innovation

2026-04-28, 11:30 AM

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Mukhtar Ahmed
Director, Project & Portfolio Strategy, Greenstone Biosciences

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed is a strategic life sciences executive and early-stage company builder with a proven track record of bridging scientific rigor with capital-efficient business strategies. He currently serves as the Director of Project & Portfolio Strategy at Greenstone Biosciences, where he directs matrixed, cross-functional workflows to advance discovery pipelines to IND readiness and enables venture spin-outs. Additionally, Dr. Ahmed acts as a Strategic Advisor for Accanito Therapeutics, guiding capital strategy and foundational business operations to transition academic oncology assets into company-sponsored clinical trials.

Deeply embedded in the San Francisco Bay Area venture and academic ecosystem, he is also a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University, focusing on integrating advanced methodologies into practical drug development. A recognized thought leader in translational modeling, Dr. Ahmed has published extensively on regulatory modernization and New Approach Methods (NAMs)—including "Clinical Trial in a Dish" frameworks—in leading journals such as Circulation and Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. He holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Toronto.

Session Details:

Engineering Oncology Trials Upstream: De-Risking Development Through Patient-Specific Translational Modeling

2026-04-29, 5:00 PM

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Amanda Chen
Clinical Operations, Study Lead, IDEAYA Biosciences

Session Details:

FIRESIDE CHAT: Speeding up oncology recruitment timelines by addressing key recruitment barriers and utilizing smarter enrollment

2026-04-28, 12:30 PM

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Jim Routt
Chief Operating Officer, IQVIA Biotech

Jim Routt is Chief Operating Officer of IQVIA Biotech, overseeing end‑to‑end project delivery for biotech and emerging biopharma sponsors. He brings 23+ years of industry experience, with deep expertise in oncology clinical development, having previously led the global oncology delivery organization across programs, customers and strategic partnerships. His leadership is grounded in a strong commitment to quality, compliance and patient safety, with a clear focus on delivering meaningful value to customers and improving outcomes for patients worldwide.

Session Details:

Putting Sites First in Early Oncology: What Integrated Site Networks Are Telling Us

2026-04-28, 1:00 PM

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Lucrecia Marquez-Rosado
MD., PhD, Co-Founder, LuMiAL Bio

Lucrecia Marquez-Rosado, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician-scientist with over 20 years of experience in oncology, immunology, and drug discovery in both academia and biotech. She completed her clinical training at the Salvador Zubirán National Institute, earned her Ph.D. in Cell Biology from CINVESTAV, and finished a postdoctoral fellowship at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Before co-founding LuMiAL Bio, she held scientific roles at Boehringer Ingelheim, SIBTECH, and Nurix Therapeutics, where she led cross-functional teams involved in translational research programs.

Lucrecia expertise includes Novel Therapeutic Modalities, biomarkers and disease-positioning strategies, focuses on translating innovative science into clinically actionable oncology programs.

Session Details:

Overviewing the current investor landscape to navigate and secure investment for oncology clinical trials

2026-04-29, 4:00 PM

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Radha Duttagupta
VP, Clinical Affairs, Nucleix

Energetic, hands-on leader, with broad experiences bridging IVD Product Development/commercialization and Clinical Trial design, operation and registrational activities. Successful commercial tests include CytoScan™ XON (Exon level CN detection), CytoScan™ Optima (Prenatal CN detection), Cytoscan® Dx (first-to-market FDA approved whole genome CN assay). Experienced in the entire product life-cycle with strong command of R&D, Manufacturing and Clinical Validation. Successful in balancing internal and external stake-holders and tying strategic goals with tactical execution. Passionate about people, teams and a culture of innovation. Experienced in : US and CE-IVD registrations, Observational Trials, Clinical Trial Management, LDT/IVD Product Development, Design Control/documentations, analytical and clinical validation, Commercialization, GLP, GCP, GMP compliance, Manufacturing Transfer, Reagent Development/Kitting , Laboratory Operations, Lead Internal/External collaborations, Technology Assessment/IP generation, Design of Experiments (DOE), Microarray analysis, Sequencing, Cell-free DNA analysis.

Session Details:

Interactive Speaker-Hosted Roundtable Discussions

2026-04-29, 9:00 AM

Session Details:

Oncology trials as a start-up: Identifying challenges and pain points to overcome and conduct effective oncology clinical trials

2026-04-29, 2:00 PM

View In Agenda
Next speaker
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Ruimei Li
Sr. Medical Director, Clinical Development, Oncolytics Biotech

Session Details:

Planning ahead to mitigate risk and stick to tight timelines

2026-04-28, 11:30 AM

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Anthony Maida
Chief Clinical Officer - Translational Medicine, Oncotelic Therapeutics
Next speaker
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Bruno Larida
Chief Business Officer, Omios Biologics

Session Details:

KEYNOTE PANEL: Practical considerations for navigating the regulatory landscape of global trials in 2026

2026-04-28, 9:00 AM

Session Details:

TITLE TBC

2026-04-28, 3:30 PM

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Anna Pavlova
Senior Medical Director, Orca Bio

Session Details:

Addressing and overcoming challenges in cell therapies to conduct successful trials

2026-04-28, 10:00 AM

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Cesar Alberto Eduardo Carrasco, MD PhD
Senior Medical Director, Parexel

Experience
Accomplished, trilingual MD, PhD clinical oncologist with 18+ years of PHARMA / CRO in different countries.
Deep knowledge in Medical Affairs and Clinical Research and development, specifically clinical trials Phase I
included first in human through Phase IV
> Skilled professional in complex aspect of oncology and molecular genetics, gastrointestinal (gastric cancer, CRC
and HCC), genitourinary cancer, skin cancer and Immunotherapy including CAR-T cell, CAR NK-cell and others)
> Prior to joining PAREXEL, roles included serving as a Senior Oncology / Hematology medical manager in Ely Lilly,
GlaxoSmithKline, ROCHE and as a Latin America Medical Scientific Liaison ASCI (Antigen Specific Cancer
Immunotherapies) for GlaxoSmithKline
> Immediate roles prior to Parexel included 2 years as Oncology / Hematology Associate Medical Director at IQVIA

Expertise
> Expertise in a variety of solid tumors indications (gastrointestinal, genitourinary and skin cancer) and immuno-
oncology and Cell & Gene therapy
> Provide scientific and strategic guidance, training and advice
> Published author in several clinical literature citations in PubMed and other short contributions in oncology books
including update and reviews

Education
> Educate and training as a Clinical Oncologist in Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV)
PhD in molecular oncology in Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC)

Session Details:

Reserved for Reserved for Parexel

2026-04-28, 3:00 PM

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Khyati Shah
Translational Oncology Lead, Pfizer

Session Details:

From mechanism to medicine: Biomarkers, functional genomics, and rational combinations to overcome therapeutic resistance in oncology

2026-04-28, 4:30 PM

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Nicholas Richardson
Vice President, Clinical Development, Medical Science, Precision for Medicine

Session Details:

Reserved for Precision for Medicine

2026-04-28, 3:00 PM

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Emily Nurminen
Associate Director, University of California San Francisco

Originally from North Carolina, my interest in clinical research started in college working as a research assistant for burn and transplant research and continued after graduation working at a Contract Research Organization. After moving to NYC, I wanted to move to the patient side of research and worked as a Radiation Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator at Montefiore Medical Center. After gaining experience and knowledge, I worked in Radiation Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center initially spearheading our newly created Quality Assurance program, and then moved into a supervisor role managing Clinical Research Coordinators. After relocating to the Bay Area, I shifted gears working in allergy research clinical operations with the Immune Tolerance Network. After realizing I missed the world of oncology and management, I found my current role as an Associate Director of Clinical Research Programs in the UCSF Cancer Center managing several programs.

Session Details:

FIRESIDE CHAT: Site Spotlight: Tackling operational roadblocks and exploring solutions for seamless oncology clinical trials

2026-04-28, 2:30 PM

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Irene Acerbi Soto
Clinical Implementations & Operations Manager, University of California San Francisco

Session Details:

Planning and executing patient-centric clinical studies: Lessons learned from the WISDOM Study platform for personalized breast cancer screening

2026-04-29, 10:45 AM

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Niloufar Abdollahi
Clinical Research Manager, University of California San Francisco

I have worked in clinical research since 2011 holding different roles across various departments. Most recently working as clinical research manager at UCSF Cancer Center, Clinical Research Network Office (CRNO), since 2021.

Session Details:

FIRESIDE CHAT: Site Spotlight: Tackling operational roadblocks and exploring solutions for seamless oncology clinical trials

2026-04-28, 2:30 PM

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Ekema Anjorin
Research Program Manager, Uphealth Foundation Medical and Research Center

Session Details:

Analyzing patient adherence to drug therapy effectively: A practical guide to methods and metrics for increased efficiency in oncology drug trials

2026-04-28, 4:30 PM

View In Agenda
Next speaker
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Jeannie Hou
Senior Vice President of Clinical Development, Replimune

Session Details:

Adaptive trial designs and RWE: Leveraging the FDA’s streamlined processes for accelerated approvals

2026-04-29, 11:45 AM

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Feng Wang-Johanning
CEO, SunnyBay Biotech

Session Details:

TITLE TBC

2026-04-29, 5:30 PM

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Gary Johanning
CSO, SunnyBay Biotech

Session Details:

TITLE TBC

2026-04-29, 5:30 PM

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Christine von Raesfeld
Patient Advocate, The Light Collective

Few people with a cause walk the talk as boldly and graciously as Christine Von Raesfeld, Lived Experience Expert/Citizen Scientist. Christine is a pillar of patient advocacy and allyship in the rare and chronic disease community. Through the lens of her own journey in healthcare, she has become a champion for patient voices, diversity and inclusion in clinical research, and equitable patient-sponsor partnerships.**

A sought-after speaker, Christine brings firsthand expertise to discussions on clinical trials, data rights, and digital health. She serves as an e-patient scholar with Stanford MedicineX and a Committee Member with the Partnership for Quality Measures (CMS), among other roles. Christine advises initiatives like Stanford's "Humanwide" Precision Medicine Program, the NIH All of Us Research Program, and the NIH HEAL Initiative. She co-authored the patient-led AI Rights Initiative with The Light Collective, focusing on ethical data use and personalized medicine.

Christine recently published a research paper analyzing her own complex medical journey[43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054](https://journal.researchtothepeople.org/christine?citationMarker=43dcd9a7-70db-4a1f-b0ae-981daa162054 "1"), highlighting the value of patient-partnered genomics in understanding rare and chronic conditions. She has additional works on patient engagement and healthcare innovation forthcoming.

Recognized for her contributions, she has been named one of Silicon Valley Business Journal's Top 100 Women of Influence, a Silicon Valley Community Hero, a member of the 2021 HIMSS Future50, and one of Medika Life's 50 most influential voices in healthcare.

Session Details:

WORKSHOP: Responsible AI in oncology clinical trials: Applying the AI rights initiative to recruitment, patient data, and patient trust

2026-04-28, 2:30 PM

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Brian Frenzel
President, CEO, and Director, Tosk

Silicon Valley entrepreneur, board member, and private investor. Extensive experience in founding and financing new companies and improving performance of existing companies.

Have previously served as CEO, Chairman, COO and/or CFO of four successful start-up companies that achieved an exit for investors, either through M&A or IPO. Functional areas of expertise include: general management, product development, fundraising, licensing, finance, marketing strategy, and governance.

Specialties: Managing the start-up and high growth process, research and product development strategy, team-building, and M&A / IPO preparation and implementation.

Session Details:

Outsourcing 101: How to effectively outsource when running a small biotech

2026-04-28, 5:00 PM

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Keya Watkins
Keya Watkins, President-Oncology, Worldwide Clinical Trials

Keya brings 30 years of experience in drug development with both biopharma and clinical service providers. She joined Worldwide in February 2026 as our President, Oncology following the merger of Catalyst Clinical Research where she served as the Senior Vice President of Catalyst Oncology responsible for the execution of the Oncology CRO Operations.

Session Details:

Chairperson’s opening remarks

2026-04-28, 8:50 AM

Session Details:

KEYNOTE PANEL: Practical considerations for navigating the regulatory landscape of global trials in 2026

2026-04-28, 9:00 AM

Session Details:

Chairperson’s opening remarks

2026-04-29, 8:50 AM

Session Details:

Chairperson’s closing remarks

2026-04-28, 5:30 PM

Session Details:

Chairperson’s closing remarks

2026-04-28, 5:30 PM

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Advisory Board

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Cesare Spadoni

Cesare is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Oncoheroes Biosciences Inc., a Boston-based biotech company focused on pediatric oncology drug development. Cesare has more than 20 years of experience in the drug development field, in both scientific and commercial roles. Previously, he held senior positions at AMRI, Aptuit Laurus, ThalesNano and Auxiliis. Cesare started his career as research scientist in a pharmaceutical company (Eisai, London) and in academia (Institute of Enzymology, Budapest).

Following the death of his first daughter Laura to cancer, Cesare set up aPODD Foundation, a London-based charity focused on accelerating paediatric oncology drug development. As aPODD’s chairman he is actively involved on a pro-bono basis in drug repurposing projects, advocacy efforts and research collaborations.

Cesare holds an MSc in Applied Molecular Biology and a PhD in Neurosciences from UCL, University of London, as well as an MBA from the Central European University, Budapest.

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Stefano Ferrara

Stefano Ferrara is a Clinical Development Expert and Director of Clinical Science at BeiGene, specializing in oncology clinical development with a focus on innovative cancer treatments. With over 20 years of leadership in global oncology clinical trials, he has played key roles at Celgene Corp, Novartis Pharma, and Sanofi-Aventis, specializing in GI, Lung, GU, and Pediatric cancers. Stefano is passionate about increasing accessibility to cancer treatment globally. He holds a strong commitment to humanitarian efforts as a supporter of Save the Children. Stefano brings his expertise in both science and advocacy to his role on the advisory board

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Fatima Scipione

Fatima serves as the Vice President of Global Patient Affairs at Blueprint Medicines, a global, fully integrated biopharmaceutical company that invents life-changing medicines. We seek to alleviate human suffering by solving important medical problems in two core focus areas: allergy/inflammation and oncology/hematology.

In her role, Fatima leads transformative collaborations with external advocacy groups, empowering and educating those affected by systemic mastocytosis. She has led the launch of significant initiatives such as GRTY Health’s SM patient platform, MastoConnect (https://mastoconnect.com), and Colors of SM (https://www.colorsofsm.com/), in partnership with the advocacy community, and actively chairs the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) patient committee, which looks to address the needs of marginalized and underrepresented communities.

With over two decades of experience in the biopharma sector, Fatima is a dedicated and passionate advocate for patients. Celebrated by PharmaVoice 100 as one of the most inspiring leaders in patient advocacy, her work focuses on amplifying patient voices and harnessing the collective power of individuals to make a positive impact. Fatima is committed to enhancing patient engagement in the development of transformative medicines, ensuring that the patient perspective is integral to every stage of the process.

She inspires her colleagues to foster a culture of purpose-driven advocacy, ensuring that patient welfare remains at the forefront of their mission. Beyond her professional role, Fatima is deeply involved in civic activities, continually dedicating herself to enhancing patient welfare and advocacy on a broader scale.

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Frank Richard
Vice President Medical, Heidelberg Pharma

Frank has been working in the past in Immune-Oncology, Immunology& Respiratory, Rare Hematology Diseases and Iron Metabolism across big pharma and biotech.

Frank holds a MD from Charité Medical University, Berlin, an MBA from University of Applied Sciences, Neu-Ulm, and is a board-certified Clinical Pharmacologist.

Additionally, he exerts an unique expertise and interest in Bayesian Statistics and machine learning in Pharma and Biotech.

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