2026 GCRIS Agenda
REGISTRATION and NETWORKING
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Introduction
Burt Zweigenhaft, PhD, DLitt, Co-Founder & Executive Director, AVBCC
Stan Skrzypczak, MS, MBA, Managing Partner, 5 Prime Life Science Consulting, Inc
Jon Fassberg, Co-founder, and Managing Partner, ASTR Partners
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Keynote Fireside Chat: Global M&A and the IPO Climate for BioPharma
Moderator: Jon Fassberg, Co-founder and Managing Partner, astr Partners
Faculty: Phil Ross, Chair of Global Healthcare Investment Banking, Jeffries
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Pharma Bets and the Emerging M&A Landscape
Biotech in oncology has never been stronger. Industry-leading analysts converge to provide insights on the capital markets, the big deals of 2026, and what is happening next.
Moderator: Brian Korb, astr Partners
Faculty:
Michael A. Margolis, R.Ph., Senior Managing Director, Head of Healthcare Investment Banking, Oppenheimer & Co.
Brian Cheng, Executive Director/Senior Biotech Analyst, JP Morgan
Graig Suvannavejh, PhD, Managing Director, Senior Biotech and Biopharma Analyst, Mizuho
Yigal D. Nochomovitz, Ph.D. Director, Small-Mid Cap Biotech Analyst, Citi Research
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Sector Spotlight: CAR-T: “Moving into a New Era, The Experts Speak”
Over $10b in investments have been made into this space over the last year. The pioneers of cell therapy review technology developments in CART (in vivo, MILS, TILs, NK cells) and provide insights into market evolution.
Moderator: Stan Skrzypczak, MS, 5 Prime Life Science Consulting Inc.
Faculty:
Isabelle Riviere, MD, Executive Director, Strategic Development in Precision Therapeutics, Columbia University
Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, Director of Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy, Columbia University
Bruce Levine, PhD, Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Founding Director, Clinical Cell, and Vaccine Production Facility (CVPF)
Emily Bodnar, Director, Equity Research, H.C. Wainwright & Co.
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Navigating the Nexus of Capital Markets, Cancer Innovation and Policy
Mobilizing the entire cancer research ecosystem from private to public to fuel global innovation into cancer research leadership and discovery
Moderator: Jennifer Hawks Bland, CEO, NewYorkBio
Faculty:
Ed Saltzman, Sr. Strategic Advisor, Lumanity, an Arsenal Capital Partners Company
Jon Retzlaff, Chief Policy Officer & Vice President, Science Policy and Government Affairs, American Association for Cancer Research
Mark Rolfe, PhD, Venture Partner, Orbimed
Matt Cohen, PhD, Managing Partner, Osage University Partners
Sibel Blau, MD, President/CEO and Co-Chair of ONCare Alliance and President/CEO at Exigent Research
Location:
Presidents 10th Floor
Venture Capital and Funding Cancer Innovation
Venture capital partners address the next generation of cancer therapeutics, diagnostics, and AI platforms for drug development.
Moderator: Michael Sherman, MD, Sherman Healthcare Solutions, LLC
Faculty:
Tess Cameron, Managing Director, RA Capital Management
Jason Fuller, PhD, Partner, Deerfeild Management
Sam Blackman, MD, PhD, EIR GV (Google Ventures) and Founder and former Head of R&D, Day One Biopharmaceuticals
Mark Rolfe, PhD, Venture Partner, Orbimed
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Catalytic Capital and Communities for Cancer Innovation
Participants will explore how nonprofit organizations are evolving beyond traditional grantmaking to serve as strategic partners, conveners, and investors in cancer innovation and understand how philanthropic capital can be leveraged to de-risk early-stage research, attract follow-on funding, and accelerate translation from discovery to patient impact.
Moderator: Kara Whelply, Associate Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute
Faculty:
Stephanie Oestreich, PhD, Managing Director, Myeloma Investment Fund
Barbara Lavery, Chief Program Officer, Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy
Rob Butcher, CEO, Swim Across America (for cancer research)
Location:
Presidents 10th Floor
Keynote Fireside Chat: Global Market Dynamics for the Pharma and Biotech Sector
Moderator: Jon Fassberg, Co-founder and Managing Partner, astr Partner
Faculty:
Jim Birchenough, MD, Chairperson and Global Co-Head of Barclay’s Pharmaceutical Investment Banking
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Fireside Chat: Conquer Cancer with Data: Virtual Biology and a Look into the Billion Cells Project
Faculty:
Serge Saxonov, PhD, Founder and CEO, 10x Genomics
Ambrose Carr, PhD, Sr. Director of Data, NY Bi(O)hub
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Emerging Science Networking/Cocktail Reception
“Cutting Edge” cancer research data and discussions with Swim Across America investigators:
Abstract guide and ability to connect with researchers and early-stage founders curated from an applicant pool of selected SAA physician/scientists and submissions from participating VC partners.
Scientific Review Committee:
Nick Sarlis, MD, CMO, Cleara Biotech, Scientific Co-chair, GCRIS
Stan Skrzypczak, MS, MBA, Managing Partner, 5 Prime Life Science Consulting, Inc. and Scientific Co-chair, GCRIS
Location:
Cardroom 9th Floor
REGISTRATION and BREAKFAST NETWORKING
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Intro and Call to Order
Burt Zweigenhaft, PhD, DLitt, Co-Founder & Executive Director, AVBCC
Stan Skrzypczak, MS, MBA, Managing Partner, 5 Prime Life Science Consulting, Inc
Matt Vossler, Managing Director, DSG Global
Nick Sarlis, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Cleara Biotech
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Global Trends and Reality Checks on the State of Cancer Research
Cancer research is at a crossroad with many of the new political, social and policy changes evolving ahead on top of the historical challenges to this ecosystem. Conversely, we see disrupters such as AI and other technologies positively accelerating the impact on cancer research ahead. This panel will call out those significant headwinds and tailwinds ahead for cancer researchers and investors in the years ahead.
Moderator: Anthony Barisano, Vice President, Global HEOR at Bristol Myers Squibb
Faculty:
Murray Aitken, Executive Director, IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science and Visiting Professor in Practice, The London School of Economics and Political Science
John Doyle, DrPH, Head of Medical Evidence Generation, Pfizer
Jeff Bockman, PhD, EVP & Expert Advisor, Oncology, Lumanity Bioconsulting
Vivek Mittal, PhD, Partner and Managing Director, Head of Biopharma, Health Advances
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Early-Stage Swim Across America Research: Advances in Cancer
Physician-scientists share the results and impact of their creativity and innovation stemming from SAA investments.
Moderator: Rob Butcher, CEO, Swim Across America
Faculty: Swim Across America Investigators present their project research from Swim Across America funded programs at their respective institutions.
Luis Diaz, MD, Head, Division of Solid Tumor, Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Michael Foote, MD, Memorial Sloane Kettering, NY
Peter Yu, MD, NYU Langone Center, NY
Leonardo M. R. Ferreira, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Immunology, Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston, SC
Location:
Presidents 10th Floor
Pediatric Oncology: What We Can Learn from the Kids
Advances in pediatric oncology have led to scientific breakthroughs in cell therapy, brain cancer treatments, and hematologic malignancies. This panel will explore the ongoing investment into basic science research at academic Children’s Hospitals and how this influences development of future drugs for both adult and pediatric indications.
Moderator: Andrew Kung, MD, Moderator. Chair of Pediatric Oncology, MSKCC
Faculty:
Alex Kentsis, MD, PhD, Pediatric Hematologist-Oncologist. Memorial Sloan Kettering
Sam Blackman, MD, PhD, EIR GV (Google Ventures) and Founder and former Head of R&D, Day One Biopharmaceuticals
Michele Cleary, PhD, CEO, Advancium Health Network
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Multi-Omics: One Size Does Not Fit All!
Next-gen drug development requires next gen tools. The panel will discuss whole genomes, single cell/spacial transcriptomics and how to integrate these tools to answer research questions in oncology.
Moderator: Stan Skrzypczak, MS, MBA, Managing Partner, 5 Prime Life Science Consulting
Faculty:
Serge Saxonov, CEO and Co-Founder, 10X Genomics
Elli Papaemmanuil, PhD, VP, Global Vice President, Oncology, Translational Medicine, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group
Nathan Fowler, CMO, Boston Gene
Location:
Presidents 10th Floor
Emerging Pipeline and Future Management of Hematologic Malignancies
What new ADC’s are coming down the pike? Where is market headed? How will a crowded field of T-cell engagers intend to differentiate? What are the current safety and operational issues to deliver these “next gen” products? How is pharma approaching from a clinical development and regulatory standpoint? Let’s take a look!
Moderator: Tony Blau, MD, CEO, All4Cure, Dept of Medicine, Adjunct Professor, Dept of Genome Sciences, U Washington
Faculty:
Anas Younes, MD, SVP and Global Head of Hematology, AZ
Nikki Daskalakis, MD, Vice President, Global Head of Early Oncology Clinical Development at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine
Amit Agarwal, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, BeOne Medicines
Chan Whiting, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, SLAM Bio
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
AI and R&D, Delivering Innovation at Scale in Translational Drug Development
This session explores how AI is compressing discovery timelines for complex modalities — from validating biomarkers in early-phase research to building the biological foundation models and integrated data layers that accelerate drug development.
Moderator: Janusz Dutkowski, PhD, Founder & CEO, Data 4 Cure
Faculty:
Pallavi Sachdev, MPH, PhD, Vice President and Head, Translational Science, Eisai
Piotr Pierog, PhD, Executive Director, GSK Oncology
Paul Rejto, PhD, Vice President Oncology Discovery Technologies, Pfizer
Joel Greshock, PhD, VP, Oncology, Data Science & Digital Health, Janssen Research & Development
Location:
Presidents 10th Floor
Next Gen Partnerships: Unlocking Value on the Pre-commercial Journey
Interactive discussion on the drivers and timing of key moments along the discovery and development path to commercialization that large and small companies should be considering. Hear the latest perspectives on Capital Formation, Standing Up an Organization, Risk Management, Collaborations and Partnerships in the context of speed, scale and geographic expansion.
Moderator:
Suneet Varma, MD, Global President, Pfizer Oncology (ret.) and Chairman of the Board, CoRegen Inc.
Faculty:
Mark Simon, Senior Advisor, Sun Pharmaceuticals
Ritesh Shah, VP and Global Head Pipeline Development, Pfizer
Sunil Joshi, President, Strategius and Advisor for the MSKCC Technology Development Fund
Mark Hagler, President and Chief Commercial Officer, NovaBridge
Rick Heinick, CEO and Chairman, SLAM Bio
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Expanding Value in Oncology Clinical Trials
Topics include a panel discussion of digital transformation in clinical trials (US and Global trends). How CROs and CDMO add value to accelerate clinical trial completion- what do they need to be best in class? Evolving business models deploying AI to include building external control arms for clinical trials. China and an accelerated model for trial execution and how can the US keep pace globally is part of the session not to miss!
Moderator: Aida Habtezion, MD, MSc, FRCPC, AGAF, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Stanford University and Former Chief Medical Officer and Head of Worldwide Medical & Safety, Pfizer
Faculty:
Stan Kachnowski, PhD, MPA, Director, Digital Health Program, Columbia Business School
Mark Lee, MD, CEO & Co-Founder, N-Power Medicine, Former SVP and Global Head for Personalized Healthcare, Product Development, Genentech
Rob Goodwin, COO, Paraxel
Melanie Lin, PhD, VP CMC Management, WuXi Biologics
Location:
Presidents 10th Floor
LUNCH: Special Presentation of Inaugural Global Cancer Research and Innovation Award for Progress in Cancer Therapeutics
Presenter: Burt Zweigenhaft, PhD, Founder and Executive Director, AVBCC
Recipient: Fred Vogt, PhD, JD, Interim Chief Executive Officer, President and General Council, Iovance Biotherapeutics
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor Lunch – Main Dining 11th Floor
What’s Next for Innovation and Basic Science Cancer Research
“Unplugged” discussion of policy changes that funnel cancer research and how institutions and pharma address the recent changes of government sponsored programs and how to support a high standard in accelerating science discovery leading to advances in cancer treatments
Moderator:
Jeff Allen, PhD, President & CEO, Friends of Cancer Research
Faculty:
Ross Levine, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, MSKCC
Wafik El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP, Associate Dean for Oncologic Sciences, Warren Alpert Medical School, Director of the Cancer Center, Brown University
Dave Tuveson, MD, PhD, Chief Scientist of the Lustgarten Foundation, Director, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center, and past President of AACR
Jon Retzlaff, Chief Policy Officer & Vice President, Science Policy and Government Affairs, American Association for Cancer Research
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Emerging Drugs: The Solid Tumor Side of the Story
Join leading pharma experts as they discuss novel solid tumor pipeline assets including mechanisms of action, lessons learned from emerging drug resistance, and the rapid evolution of next-generation modalities like ADCs, PROTACs, and rational combination therapies—including synthetic lethality and novel-novel pairings—to break through treatment barriers and further advance patient outcomes.
Moderator: Nick Sarlis, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Cleara Biotech
Faculty:
Abderraah Laadem, MD, Head of Late-Stage Oncology Clinical Development, Daiichi Sankyo
Michael Axelson, MD, Early-Stage Oncology Development, Eli Lilly
Sam Bakhoum, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), Volastra Therapeutics, and Associate Professor, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth University
Bill Shelman, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Bicara Therapeutics
Location:
Presidents 10th Floor
Immune Re-programing: Moving Beyond Checkpoints
Discussion of emerging biological mechanisms driving primary and acquired resistance to immunotherapy, tumor–immune interactions and the influence of the tumor microenvironment, and novel therapeutic strategies aimed at overcoming resistance with vaccines and cell therapy that may enhance immune checkpoint therapy for improving patient outcomes.
Moderator: Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD, FASCO, Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell University, NY
Faculty:
Taha Merghoub, PhD, Deputy Director, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine
George Coukos, MD, PhD, George Coukos, MD, PhD, Walter B. Wriston Chair
Professor of Immunology in Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pathology, Director, Ludwig Laboratory for Cell Therapy, Assoc. Director for Cell Therapy, Meyer Cancer Center, Assoc. Director for Cell Therapy, Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, Adjunct Professor, Rutgers Cancer Institute, Rutgers Health, Member, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Alexandra Snyder, MD, SVP, Translational Medicine & Discovery Oncology, Merck
Akshay Sudhindra, MD, VP, Global Clinical Development-Early Oncology, Bristol Meyers Squibb
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
AI and Multi-modal Data in Drug Development
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the landscape of oncology clinical research. Experts meet on using RWE, large open-source datasets, and multi-modal models to streamline new product and market development.
Moderator: Sanjay Juneta, MD, Vice President, Clinical AI and Informatics, Tempus AI
Faculty:
Tobi Arkenau, MD, Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer Ellipsis Pharma and Former Head, Drug Development at Sarah Canon Cancer Center, London, UK
Mark Lee, MD, CEO & Co-Founder, N-Power Medicine, Former SVP and Global Head for Personalized Healthcare, Product Development, Genentech
Eric Schultz, Founder, Ellumigen and Former CEO, COTA, NJ
John Eckardt, MD, Oncology External Scientific Engagement Leader at The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson
Prateesh Varughese, EVP of Strategy and Partnerships, Integra Connect
Location:
Presidents 10th Floor
Oncology Leadership Forum “In Science We Trust”
Where is the puck heading in cancer drug development that drives an inflection point for new products and markets? Pharma executives and Dr. Larry Norton from Memorial Sloan Kettering will share views on future drug development, use of AI, and promising pipeline candidates and therapeutic areas of focus. Added topics include evolving successes in clinical trials and the state of drug development from an industry and academic perspective.
Moderator:
Howard “Skip” Burris, MD, (ret.) President, Sarah Cannon Research Institute
Faculty:
Jeff Legos, Chief Oncology Officer, Pfizer
Larry Norton, Senior VP, Office of the Hospital President, Founding Medical Director, Lauder Breast Center, Memorial Hospital at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
FDA: Ensuring Regulatory Success
Moderator: Jeff Allen, President & CEO, Friends of Cancer Research
Faculty:
Katherine Szarama, PhD, Associate Director, Office of the Commisioner, FDA, Bethesda, MD
Sean Khozin, MD, Chief Executive Officer, CEO Roundtable on Cancer and Founding Member of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Swim Across America Pioneers: “What We are Doing in Our Labs Today?”
Moderator: Matt Vossler, Founder, Swim Across America, Managing Partner, DSG Global
Faculty:
Steven Rosen, MD, FACP, FASCO, FAIMBE, Provost and Chief Scientific Officer, City of Hope
Taha Merghoub, PhD, Deputy Director, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine
Andrea Cercek, MD, Section Head of Colorectal Cancer, Medical Oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Dave Tuveson, MD, PhD, Chief Scientist of the Lustgarten Foundation, Director, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cancer Center, and past President of AACR
Location:
Lounge 9th Floor
Closing & Networking Reception
Location:
Main Dining