2019 Scientific Retreat
On June 19 and 20, 2019, the 31st Annual UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Scientific Retreat was held at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum on the University of Pittsburgh main campus in Oakland. Presentations focused on the topics of “Data Sharing and Data Analysis,” “Addressing Catchment Area (Western Pennsylvania) Cancer Risks” and finally, “Cancer Immunology Intersections.” We were also pleased to bring back the always popular Lightning Round.
The 2019 Ronald B. Herberman Lectureship Keynote Address was given by Arthur S. Levine, MD, Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences and John and Gertrude 
Petersen Dean of the School of Medicine, who is stepping down after two decades of distinguished leadership. As an oncologist and cancer researcher particularly focused on DNA damage and repair mechanisms during his career, and a major supporter of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Dr. Levine was a highly appropriate Keynote guest.
Coming soon… The 2019 Photo Gallery.
2018 Scientific Retreat
The 30th Annual UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Satellite Conference and Scientific Retreat were held at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg in June.
The satellite conference, held on June 20, 2018, focused on Aging and Cancer. The Keynote Lecture – “Maintaining Genome Stability” – was given by Andre Nussenzweig, PhD (Chief of the Laboratory of Genome Integrity in the NCI Center for Cancer Research and NIH Distinguished Investigator).
At the main retreat on June 21 and 22, 2018, presentations focused on the topics of “Novel Approaches in Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research – A Workshop,” “Pathogens and Cancer,” and “Translating our Research into Novel Immunotherapies of Cancer.” Additionally, the popular Lightning Round was held again this year. The Ronald B. Herberman, MD Lectureship Keynote Address was given by David Tuveson, MD, PhD (Chief Scientist, Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, and Cancer Center Director and Roy J. Zuckerberg Professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL)). Dr. Tuveson’s lab generated the first mouse models of ductal pancreatic cancer, and at the University of Cambridge they identified new therapies. At CSHL, they developed organoid models of pancreatic cancer with Hans Clevers, enabling basic discoveries and clinical findings including signatures of “common responders” to chemotherapy. Dr. Tuveson’s Keynote topic was “Pancreatic Cancer Biology and Medicine.”
2017 Scientific Retreat
On June 22 and 23, 2017, the 29th Annual UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Scientific Retreat was held at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum on the University of Pittsburgh main campus in Oakland. Presentations focused on the topics of “Development of Novel Therapeutics: From Mouse to Man,” “Session II: Shining New Light on the Fog: Advances in the Science of Neurocognitive Function Across the Disease Trajectory,” and “Combinations Enabling Immunotherapeutic Response.” The Keynote Address was given by the Director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Eric R. Fearon. Dr. Fearon is a nationally recognized investigator in cancer genetics whose research has led to a greater understanding of gene defects that cause colon and rectal cancer to develop and spread. His Keynote talk was entitled “Molecular Insights into Colorectal Cancer Pathogenesis.”
2016 Scientific Retreat
The 28th Annual UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Scientific Retreat and 30th Anniversary Symposium III were held at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg in June. The symposium, held on June 15, 2016, focused on Cancer Immunology and was the last of three symposia held to commemorate UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s 30th Anniversary. At the main retreat on June 16 and 17, 2016, presentations focused on the topics of “Personalized Medicine,” “Illuminating Cancer from Single Molecules to Tumors,” and “UPMC Hillman Cancer Center SPORES.” Additionally, a very lively Lightning Round was introduced this year. The Keynote Address was given by Levi Garraway, MD, PhD (Associate Professor of Medicine, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School). Dr. Garraway has made seminal research contributions in cancer genomics, drug resistance and cancer precision medicine. His expertise has guided precision medicine initiatives at many cancer centers worldwide. It also inspired the launch of Foundation Medicine Inc., a genomics-based cancer diagnostics company he co-founded. He has earned several awards and honors, including the prestigious Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Cancer Institute, and was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator in 2015. Dr. Garraway’s Keynote topic was “New Frontiers in Cancer Precision Medicine.”
2015 Scientific Retreat
On June 18 and 19, 2015, the 27th Annual UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Scientific Retreat was held at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum on the University of Pittsburgh main campus in Oakland. Presentations focused on the topics of “Novel Antitumor Vaccine Approaches,” “Interventions for Cancer Prevention,” and “Novel Designs and Promising Combinations for Cancer Therapy.” The Keynote Address was given by Acting Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and Chief of the NCI Laboratory of Cellular Oncology in the Center for Cancer Research, Dr. Douglas Lowy. Dr. Lowy is a renowned expert in basic and translational aspects of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and his work has contributed to the development of FDA-approved HPV vaccines. His keynote lecture was entitled, “HPV Vaccination: Precision Medicine in Cancer Prevention.”
2014 Scientific Retreat
The 26th Annual UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Scientific Retreat was held on June 19 and 20, 2014 at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. Presentations focused on the topics of “Signaling and Cancer,” “Obesity, Energetics and Cancer,” and “Translational and Clinical Science in the Genomics Era.” The Keynote Address was given by Dr. Theresa Whiteside (Professor of Pathology, Immunology, and Otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh), who is a recognized expert in immune monitoring of patients with cancer. Dr. Whiteside’s research interests are in tumor immunology and immunotherapy, with a special focus on mechanisms of tumor-induced immunosuppression, cytokine networks, development of anticancer vaccines, immunology of human head and neck cancer, and the role of natural immunity in the control of cancer progression. Her Keynote Address was entitled, “Cooperation between tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) and regulatory T cells (Treg) fuels immune suppression.”
2013 Scientific Retreat
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center celebrated its 25th Annual Scientific Retreat on June 14, 2013 at the Petersen Events Center on the University of Pittsburgh main campus in Oakland. The event featured a clinical science session and two breakout sessions focusing on the topics of “Biobehavioral/Population Science” and “Imaging.” The Keynote Address was given by Dr. Stephen Baylin (The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center), whose research interests include cellular biology and genetics of cancer, specifically epigenetics or genetic modifications other than those in DNA that can affect cell behavior, and silencing of tumor suppressor genes and tumor progression. Additionally, Dr. Robert Gillies (Moffitt Cancer Center), renowned for his extensive research contributing to the advancement of the field of molecular imaging, was the guest speaker for the Imaging session.
2012 Scientific Retreat
On June 21 and 22, 2012, the 24th Annual UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Scientific Retreat was held at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. Presentations focused on the topics of “Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Stem Cells” and “Molecular Targeted Therapies.” The Keynote Address was given by Dr. Jeremy Rich (Cleveland Clinic), who is renowned for his work in investigating cancer stem cells in brain tumors and novel treatments aimed at slowing brain tumor growth.
2011 Scientific Retreat
The 23rd Annual UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Scientific Retreat was held on June 16 and 17, 2011 at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum on the University of Pittsburgh main campus in Oakland. Three presentation sessions focused on the topics of “Women’s Malignancies,” “Ongoing Clinical Trials,” and “Monoclonal Antibodies for Immunotherapy”. The Keynote Address was given by Dr. Joe W. Gray (Oregon Health & Science University), an expert in the field of biomedical engineering who spoke on systems approaches to predictive markers in breast cancer.
2010 Scientific Retreat
On June 17 and 18, 2010, the 22nd Annual UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Scientific Retreat was held at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum on the University of Pittsburgh main campus in Oakland. Presentations fell under three main categories: “Genomics and Epigenetics in Cancer,” “Promises and Challenges in Personalized Cancer Treatment,” and “Cancer, Metabolism and Bioenergetics.” The Keynote Address was given by Dr. Charles M. Perou (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), a leader in cancer bioinformatics who discussed the therapeutic implications of the molecular portraits of breast cancer.
