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

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
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, NCI, National Institutes of Health
Sex and Gender Impact on Human Health and Disease
Aging in Human Health and Disease (Joint)
9:00–11:15 AM
Ashani T. Weeraratna †, Johns Hopkins University
Aging and Cancer Progression
Donna L Farber, Columbia University Medical Center
Inflammation Resolution: Emerging Concepts, Mechanisms, and Disease Insights
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: Hands On 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
Peter Sorger †, Harvard Medical School
Building Advanced Visualization Tools (HTAN)
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 Lite Bites
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)
3:00–4:30 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
Peter Sorger †, Harvard Medical School
Multiplexed 3D Analysis of Immune States and Niches in Human Tissue
Short Talk(s) Chosen from Abstracts
Social Hour with Lite Bites
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
Rong Fan †, Yale School of Medicine
Advancing AI Tools to Study the TME
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 Lite Bites
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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