Global Summit and Award Ceremonies
For Cancer Research & Entrepreneurship
Saturday, October 21, 2023
Co-Hosted by


Join us for a day of learning, collaborating, celebrating and honoring all who make an impact in our community. You will hear from Leading Cancer Scientists, Entrepreneurs and Survivors.
Summit Highlights
Part I
50 Years of Cancer Research Progress
8:30 – 8:40 am
8:40 – 9:10 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Sujuan Ba, Ph.D., CEO of NFCR, Co-Founder of AIM-HI, & Founder of AFCR
Web K. Cavenee, Ph.D., Chair of NFCR Scientific Advisory Board; Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of California, San Diego

Keynote Speech
James P. Allison, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair of Immunology, Executive Director of Immunotherapy Platform, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
2014 Szent-Györgyi Prize Winner
2018 Nobel Prize Winner
9:10 – 10:30 am

Session I: New Approaches to Cancer Treatments
Moderator:
Suzanne Topalian, M.D., Professor of Oncology and Surgery, Johns Hopkins University
Panel Members:
- Kornelia Polyak, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard
- Avery D. Posey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
- Azra Raza, M.D., Chan Soon-Shiong Professor of Medicine, Columbia University in New York
- Pam Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Thea D. Tlsty, Ph.D., Professor of Pathology, University of California San Francisco
10:30 -10:45 am: Coffee Break
10:45 am – 11:35 am

Session II: Panel Discussion on Precision Medicine
Moderator:
Brian Leyland-Jones, MBBS, Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, AIM-HI Accelerator Fund
Panel Members:
- Lon Cardon, Ph.D., President and CEO, The Jackson Laboratory
- Raju Kucherlapati, Ph.D., Paul C. Cabot Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School
- Anna D. Barker, Ph.D., Chief Strategy Officer, Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine
- Min Li, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Surgery and Cell Biology, The University of Oklahoma
- Massimo Cristofanilli, M.D., Chief, Breast Medical Oncology, Weil Cornell Medicine
11:35 am – 12:30 pm

Session III: Szent-Gyorgyi Prize Panel Discussion on Status of Cancer Biology
Moderator:
Doug R. Lowy, M.D., Principal Deputy Director, National Cancer Institute
Panel Members:
- Carlo M. Croce, M.D., John W. Wolfe Chair in Human Cancer Genetics, The Ohio State University
- Web K. Cavenee, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of California, San Diego
- Rakesh Jain, Ph.D., Andrew Werk Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School
- Peter K. Vogt, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research
12:20 – 12:25 pm
Closing Remarks:
Alfred Slanetz, Ph.D. Chairman of Board of Directors, NFCR; CEO of Geneius Biotechnology
Part II
Luncheon Award Ceremony for
Women’s Leadership & Entrepreneurship
Emcee: Rose Wang, MBA, Executive Advisor of AIM-HI Accelerator Fund
1:00 – 1:40 pm AIM-HI Beacon Award Ceremony
1:40-2:20 pm AIM-HI Women’s Venture Competition Presentation
2:35-3:30 pm Emerging Oncology Companies Showcase
Welcome Remarks:
Sujuan Ba, Ph.D., President & CEO of NFCR, Co-Founder of AIM-HI, & Founder of AFCR; Co-Chair of the 2023 Beacon Award Selection Committee
Introduction of the 2023 Beacon Award Recipient:
Patty Obermaier, MBA, Nominator of the 2023 Beacon Award Recipient; Emerging Growth Officer, Global Healthand Life Sciences, Microsoft
Presenting the Beacon Award Medallion to the Recipient by the Award Selection Committee Members
2023 Beacon Award Winner Award Speech:
Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D., Director, National Cancer Institute


3:30-6:00 pm: Intermission
Part III
2023 Szent-Györgyi Prize Dinner & Award Ceremony
Black Tie Optional
6:00 – 7:00 pm
Cocktail Reception
7:00 – 8:30 pm





Dinner Award Ceremony
Moment of Silence
Opening and Welcome Remarks:
Sujuan Ba, Ph.D., CEO of NFCR, Co-Founder of AIM-HI, & Founder of AFCR; Co-Chair of the 2023 Selection Committee for the Szent-Györgyi Prize
Keynote Speech:
Helmut Sies, M.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
Introduction of the 2023 Szent-Györgyi Prize Winner:
Rakesh K. Jain, Ph.D., 2022 Szent-Györgyi Prize Winner & Chair of the 2023 Selection Committee for the Szent-Györgyi Prize; Andrew Werk Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School; Director, Edwin L. Steele Laboratories for Tumor Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital
Award Trophy Presentation:
Dr. Sujuan Ba, Co-Chair of the 2023 Selection Committee for the Szent-Györgyi Prize
2023 Szent-Györgyi Prize Winner Award Speech:
Isaac P. Witz, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at Tel Aviv University, Head of the Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment & Metastasis Research at The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences
Acknowledgments & Closing Remarks:
Alfred Slanetz, Chair of the Board, NFCR; CEO of Geneius Biotechnology
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
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Sponsorship Opportunities
Inquiries regarding sponsorship of our Global Summit and Award Ceremonies for Cancer Research & Entrepreneurship event can be made by e-mail at Sponsorship@nfcr.org or by phone at 1-800-321-CURE (2873). Learn more in our sponsorship packet.
“The Women’s Leadership Forum was spectacular and the chemistry between all of the people on the podium and the energy was wonderful. It was inspirational to all and especially young women who were there and might have been watching.”
-Dr. Raju Kucherlapati, Paul C. Cabot Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and 2021 Precision Medicine in Cancer Panel Moderator
“Absolutely wonderful, inspirational meeting…thanks so much to everyone involved and to NFCR for making it possible for us to get together. I am grateful to be included!”
-Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., Professor, Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Former President of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and 2021 Women’s Leadership Panel Participant