Cancer Immunotherapy: Basic Mechanisms Informing Clinical Applications & Combinations
Mar 15–18, 2026 | Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Québec, QC, Canada
Scientific Organizers:
Jennifer Guerriero, Thomas Marron, Ira Mellman, and Solange Peters
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Mar 15–18, 2026 | Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Québec, QC, Canada
Scientific Organizers: Jennifer Guerriero, Thomas Marron, Ira Mellman, and Solange Peters
Jennifer Guerriero, PhD
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Jennifer L Guerriero, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Guerriero studies macrophage biology to enhance T-cell activation for better immunotherapy responses, focusing on breast cancer immune mechanisms and translating macrophage targeting strategies to the clinic. She serves in leadership roles at SITC and AACR and is the co-founder of The Myeloid Network, a monthly seminar series that promotes communication and advancement in the field of myeloid cell biology.
Thomas Marron, MD, PhD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Thomas U Marron, M.D., Ph.D., is the Director of the Early Phase Trials Unit at the Tisch Cancer Center, and a Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Oncology and Professor of Immunology and Immunotherapy at the Icahn School of Mount Sinai. Dr. Marron leads over 100 clinical trials, focusing on first-in-human studies of novel immunotherapies and translational research to improve biomarker identification and combinational approaches, particularly in the tumor immune microenvironment. Dr. Marron serves as the co-lead for the SITC Sparkathon, an event designed to spur innovation in cancer immunotherapy.
Ira Mellman, PhD
Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
Ira Mellman, Ph.D., is Chief Scientific Officer of Medici Therapeutics and Professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Mellman is known for discovering endosomes and pioneering checkpoint inhibitors, bringing atezolizumab to market, initiating personalized mRNA cancer vaccines, and defining the Cancer Immunity Cycle. Dr. Mellman has served as a member of several organizing committees, including five Keystone Symposia meetings as co-organizer, as well as AACR and ASCB annual meetings.
Solange Peters, MD, PhD
CHUV
Solange Peters, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of Medical Oncology, and Director of the Department of Oncology at the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Switzerland. Dr. Peters specializes in thoracic malignancies and cancer immunotherapy, contributing to biomarker discovery and multimodal therapeutic strategies. She has held leadership roles in several international oncology organizations, including ESMO.
Available Formats:
Supported by:
In Person
On Demand
***Meeting program subject to change.
Available Formats: = In Person = On DemandSunday, March 15, 2026
Fundraising
Booking Function
Merchandise Options
Registration Options
Registration
4:00–8:00 PM
Vercheres
Welcome Mixer
6:00–8:00 PM
Vercheres
Monday, March 16, 2026
Breakfast
7:30–8:30 AM
Frontenac / Petit Frontenac
Poster Setup
8:00–8:30 AM
Grand Ballroom
Poster Viewing
8:15–5:00 PM
Grand Ballroom
Welcome Remarks
8:30–8:40 AM
Grand Ballroom
Keynote Address
8:40–9:30 AM
Grand Ballroom
Elizabeth M. Jaffee, Johns Hopkins University
Cancer Immunotherapy - Where do we Stand Now?
Cancer Immunotherapy - Where do we Stand Now?
The Failures, Successes and Future of Cancer Immunotherapy
9:30–11:45 AM
Grand Ballroom
Solange Peters, CHUV
Postmortem of Failed Immunotherapy Approaches
Postmortem of Failed Immunotherapy Approaches
James P. Allison, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Cancer Immunotherapy: Mechanistic Insights Provide New Therapeutic Opportunities
Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Cancer Immunotherapy: Mechanistic Insights Provide New Therapeutic Opportunities
Ira Mellman, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
The Future of Cancer Immunotherapy
The Future of Cancer Immunotherapy
Melissa Reeves †, Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Short Talk: Tumor-produced CX3CL1 Shapes the Local Immune Microenvironment and Impedes Efficacy of Immunotherapy
Short Talk: Tumor-produced CX3CL1 Shapes the Local Immune Microenvironment and Impedes Efficacy of Immunotherapy
Coffee Break
10:00–10:20 AM
Vercheres
Lunch
11:45–12:45 PM
Frontenac / Petit Frontenac
Poster Session 1
12:30–2:30 PM
Grand Ballroom
Panel Discussion 1: Accelerating Development and Overcoming Regulatory Challenges of Drug Approvals
2:30–4:30 PM
Grand Ballroom
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
Vercheres
Probing Omics and Big Data to Identify Novel Therapeutic Targets and Biomarkers
5:00–7:00 PM
Grand Ballroom
Arielle Elkrief, Université de Montréal
The Gut Microbiome as a Therapeutic Target in Immuno-oncology
The Gut Microbiome as a Therapeutic Target in Immuno-oncology
Padmanee Sharma, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
From the Clinic to the Lab: Investigating Mechanisms of Response and Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Therapy
From the Clinic to the Lab: Investigating Mechanisms of Response and Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Therapy
Özlem Türeci, BioNTech
Vaccines
Vaccines
Yan Qu †, Genentech
Short Talk: Tracking Immune and Non-Immune Infiltrate Dynamics to Improve Tumor Model Selection and Translational Relevance
Short Talk: Tracking Immune and Non-Immune Infiltrate Dynamics to Improve Tumor Model Selection and Translational Relevance
Fadi Sheban †, ETH Zurich
Short Talk: ZEB2 is a Master Switch Controlling the Tumor-associated Macrophage Program
Short Talk: ZEB2 is a Master Switch Controlling the Tumor-associated Macrophage Program
On Own for Dinner
7:00–8:00 PM
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Breakfast
7:30–8:30 AM
Frontenac / Petit Frontenac
Poster Setup
8:00–8:30 AM
Grand Ballroom
Poster Viewing
8:15–5:00 PM
Grand Ballroom
Advances and Challenges of Combination Immunotherapy of Cancer
8:30–11:30 AM
Grand Ballroom
Sandra Demaria, Weill Cornell Medical College
Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Responses to Radiation and Immunotherapy Combinations
Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Responses to Radiation and Immunotherapy Combinations
Thomas Marron, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Neoadjuvant Combination Immunotherapy Approaches: Improving Outcomes and Propelling the Science
Neoadjuvant Combination Immunotherapy Approaches: Improving Outcomes and Propelling the Science
Kai W. Wucherpfennig †, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Talk Title to be Announced
Talk Title to be Announced
Alexandra Snyder, Generate Biomedicines, Inc.
Talk Title to be Announced
Talk Title to be Announced
Andrea Imle †, BioNTech SE
Short Talk: DuoBody-EpCAMx4-1BB: From Monotherapy to Combination with PD-(L)1 Blocking Agents to Enhance Immune Effector Functions and Antitumor Efficacy
Short Talk: DuoBody-EpCAMx4-1BB: From Monotherapy to Combination with PD-(L)1 Blocking Agents to Enhance Immune Effector Functions and Antitumor Efficacy
William S Nutt †, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Short Talk: Competition for Dendritic Cells Limits Engineered TCR-T cell Activation in Tumor-draining Lymph Nodes and Impairs Synergy with PD-L1 Blockade
Short Talk: Competition for Dendritic Cells Limits Engineered TCR-T cell Activation in Tumor-draining Lymph Nodes and Impairs Synergy with PD-L1 Blockade
Coffee Break
9:30–9:50 AM
Vercheres
Award Recipient Acknowledgement
9:50–9:55 AM
Grand Ballroom
Lunch
11:30–12:30 PM
Frontenac / Petit Frontenac
Poster Session 2
12:30–2:30 PM
Grand Ballroom
Career Roundtable
1:30–2:30 PM
Grand Ballroom
Panel Discussion 2: “Lessons Learned” from Combination Therapy: What can be Learned from the Failures to Improve Future Successes in Combination Treatment
2:45–4:30 PM
Grand Ballroom
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
Vercheres
Novel Approaches for Targeting Myeloid and Stromal Cells in the Tumor Microenvironment
5:00–7:00 PM
Grand Ballroom
Shannon J Turley, Amgen Inc.
Talk Title to be Announced
Talk Title to be Announced
Karin E. de Visser, Netherlands Cancer Institute
Crosstalk between Eosinophils and Adaptive Immune Cells: A New Avenue for Immune Checkpoint Blockade
Crosstalk between Eosinophils and Adaptive Immune Cells: A New Avenue for Immune Checkpoint Blockade
Jennifer Guerriero, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Harnessing Macrophages for Anti-Cancer Therapy
Harnessing Macrophages for Anti-Cancer Therapy
Jesse Boumelha †, Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Short Talk: Local Type 2 Stromal-myeloid Signaling Axis Drives Progression and Immunotherapy Resistance of Colorectal Cancer Metastasis
Short Talk: Local Type 2 Stromal-myeloid Signaling Axis Drives Progression and Immunotherapy Resistance of Colorectal Cancer Metastasis
Akshay Krishnamurty †, Genentech, Inc.
Short Talk: Reprogramming Tumor-associated Stroma via Lymphotoxin-beta Receptor Signaling Promotes Tertiary Lymphoid Structure Formation and Enhances Anti-tumor Immunity
Short Talk: Reprogramming Tumor-associated Stroma via Lymphotoxin-beta Receptor Signaling Promotes Tertiary Lymphoid Structure Formation and Enhances Anti-tumor Immunity
On Own for Dinner
7:00–8:00 PM
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Breakfast
7:30–8:30 AM
Frontenac / Petit Frontenac
Novel Insights into Tumor Recognition by Lymphocytes
8:30–11:30 AM
Grand Ballroom
Tullia C. Bruno, University of Pittsburgh
Harnessing B Cells Inside and Outside of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures for Improved Anti-tumor Immunity
Harnessing B Cells Inside and Outside of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures for Improved Anti-tumor Immunity
Miriam Merad, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Novel Insights into the Organization of TLS
Novel Insights into the Organization of TLS
E. John Wherry, University of Pennsylvania
Novel T Cell Checkpoints
Novel T Cell Checkpoints
Carl H June, University of Pennsylvania
Cellular Therapies
Cellular Therapies
Emily B Derrick †, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
Short Talk: Enhancing Responses to Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy by Improving T Cell Infiltration through CXCL9 Signalling
Short Talk: Enhancing Responses to Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy by Improving T Cell Infiltration through CXCL9 Signalling
Sean T Hyslop †, Baylor College of Medicine
Short Talk: CD7 Regulates Persistence of Terminally Exhausted CD8 T Cells
Short Talk: CD7 Regulates Persistence of Terminally Exhausted CD8 T Cells
Coffee Break
9:30–9:50 AM
Vercheres
Lunch
11:30–12:30 PM
Frontenac / Petit Frontenac
Panel: Perspectives: Personalized Medicine & Patient-Centered Strategies
12:45–2:00 PM
Grand Ballroom
Workshop: Novel Platforms to Understand Mechanisms of Action and Resistance
2:30–4:30 PM
Grand Ballroom
Allison N Casey †, University of Pittsburgh
B Cell Activity is Modulated by Tumor Microenvironmental Cues
B Cell Activity is Modulated by Tumor Microenvironmental Cues
Jonas Ibn-Salem †, TRON
K4neo: Rapid Tumor-Specificity Assessment of Novel T-cell Antigen Candidates via Efficient K-mer Indexing of Healthy Tissue Transcriptomes
K4neo: Rapid Tumor-Specificity Assessment of Novel T-cell Antigen Candidates via Efficient K-mer Indexing of Healthy Tissue Transcriptomes
Merve Kahraman †, Genome Institute of Singapore
Spatial Profiling Reveals Molecular Determinants of CD8+ Dynamics during Chemo-Immunotherapy in MSS Colon Cancer
Spatial Profiling Reveals Molecular Determinants of CD8+ Dynamics during Chemo-Immunotherapy in MSS Colon Cancer
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
Vercheres
Cancer Immunotherapy: Overcoming Resistance
5:00–6:45 PM
Grand Ballroom
Hélène Salmon, Institut Curie
Factors of TME Resistance
Factors of TME Resistance
Thomas Powles, Barts Cancer Institute
How to Optimally Combine Chemotherapies and Targeted Therapies with Immunotherapy
How to Optimally Combine Chemotherapies and Targeted Therapies with Immunotherapy
Andy Minn, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Talk Title to be Announced
Talk Title to be Announced
Adam Getzler †, DFCI
Short Talk: Immunotherapy Resistant Triple Negative Breast Cancer Utilizes Interferon Gamma Signaling to Evade NK Responses during Metastasis
Short Talk: Immunotherapy Resistant Triple Negative Breast Cancer Utilizes Interferon Gamma Signaling to Evade NK Responses during Metastasis
Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (Organizers)
6:45–7:00 PM
Grand Ballroom
On Own for Dinner
7:00–8:00 PM
Thursday, March 19, 2026
Departure
12:00–11:59 PM
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