Joint with: Inflammation Resolution: Emerging Concepts, Mechanisms and Disease Insights
Tumor Microenvironment: Identifying Drivers of Progression and Resistance

May 17–20, 2026 | Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler, BC, Canada
Scientific Organizers: Lisa M. Coussens, Sandra S. McAllister, Laura L. Kiessling and Jill Barnholtz-Sloan

  In Person
  On Demand
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May 17–20, 2026 | Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler, BC, Canada
Scientific Organizers: Lisa M. Coussens, Sandra S. McAllister, Laura L. Kiessling and Jill Barnholtz-Sloan

Supported by the  Directors' Fund

***Meeting program subject to change.

Available Formats:   = In Person     = On Demand
Sunday, May 17, 2026
Registration
4:00–8:00 PM
Welcome Mixer
6:00–8:00 PM
Monday, May 18, 2026
Breakfast
7:00–8:00 AM
Welcome and Keynote Address (Joint)
8:00–9:00 AM
Ophira Ginsburg, Medecins Sans Frontieres
Sex and Gender Impact on Human Health and Disease
Aging in Human Health and Disease (Joint)
9:00–11:15 AM
Speaker to be Announced
Donna L Farber, Columbia University Medical Center
Immune Aging Across the LifeSpan
Peter D. Adams, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
The Epigenetic Landscape of Aging
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Break
9:30–9:50 AM
Poster Setup
11:15–1:00 PM
On Own for Lunch
11:15–5:00 PM
Poster Viewing
1:00–10:00 PM
Workshop: Data Jamboree/Workshop leveraging the NCI Human Tumor Atlas Data (HTAN) to study the TME
2:30–4:30 PM
* Jill Barnholtz-Sloan, NCI, National Institutes of Health
Introduction to HTAN and Overarching Goals of HTAN
Erik A. Sahai, Francis Crick Institute
Elana Fertig, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Novel Analytical Approaches for Data Forecasting and Data Integration with HTAN
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
Cross-Talk in the TME Driving Cancer Progression and Therapeutic Resistance
5:00–7:00 PM
Sheila A. Stewart, Washington University School of Medicine
Senescent Fibroblasts that Drive Immune Suppression and Cancer Progression
Teresa Zimmers, Oregon Health and Science University Knight Cancer Institute
Impact of Cachexia on Cancer Progression and Response to Therapy
Daniela F Quail, McGill University
Impact of Obesity on Tumor-Associated Chronic Inflammation
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Social Hour with Dinner
7:00–8:00 PM
Posters
7:30–10:00 PM
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Breakfast
7:00–8:00 AM
Pathways Controlling Inflammation and Tissue Homeostasis (Joint)
8:00–11:00 AM
Andrea Ablasser, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
cGAS STING Pathway in Inflammation
Melissa Davis, Morehouse School of Medicine
Impact of Genetics, Biology, and Social Determinants on Cancer Risk
Jenny P.Y. Ting, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Impact of Innate Immune Receptors in Cancer
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Break
9:00–9:20 AM
Poster Setup
11:00–1:00 PM
On Own for Lunch
11:00–5:00 PM
Poster Viewing
1:00–10:00 PM
Career Roundtable (Joint)
1:45–2:45 PM
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
Inflammatory Responses in the TME
5:00–7:00 PM
Sandra S. McAllister, Brigham & Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Impact of the Aging TME Cellular and Molecular Landscape on Response to Therapy
Lisa M. Coussens, Oregon Health & Science University
Innate-Adaptive Crosstalk Mechanisms as Leverage Points for Therapy
Erik A. Sahai, Francis Crick Institute
Talk Title to be Announced
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Social Hour with Dinner
7:00–8:00 PM
Posters
7:30–10:00 PM
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Breakfast
7:00–8:00 AM
Therapeutic Targeting in Chronic Disease
8:00–11:00 AM
Gabriel A. Rabinovich, Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental
The Power of Glycocheckpoints: Translating Glycan-Encoded Information into Novel Therapies in Cancer and Autoimmune Inflammation
Laura L. Kiessling, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Critical Role of Glycosylation in Regulating Tissue Homeostasis and Disease Progression
Thomas A Wynn, Pfizer
Resolution of Chronic Inflammation
Michael Klichinsky, Carisma Therapeutics
Engineering Myeloid Cells for Cancer, Autoimmunity, and Fibrosis
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Break
9:00–9:20 AM
On Own for Lunch
11:00–5:00 PM
Symposia Spotlight: Late-breaking research presentations selected from abstract submissions
2:30–4:30 PM
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Coffee Available
4:30–5:00 PM
Unraveling the TME
5:00–6:45 PM
Jeremy Goecks †, Moffitt Cancer Center
Computational Analysis for Impact on the TME using Galaxy and other Easy to use, Publicly Available Tools
Jill Barnholtz-Sloan, NCI, National Institutes of Health
Utilizing Data to Make Advancements for Understanding the TME and Cancer
Elana Fertig, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Forecasting Cancer Signatures
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions (Organizers)
6:45–7:00 PM
Social Hour with Dinner
7:00–8:00 PM
Cash Bar
8:00–11:00 PM
Entertainment
8:00–11:00 PM
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Departure
12:00–11:59 PM

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