Schedule - Future of Oncology Summit 2026

SCHEDULE

Day 1: AI, Data Science, and Innovation in Cancer Management

Monday, November 9, 2026

7:30–8:30 AM

Registration and Breakfast

8:30–8:45 AM

OPENING
Welcome and Opening Remarks

Jodie Gillon, President and Chief Executive Officer, BioCT

David Scheer, President, Scheer & Company

Eric Winer, Director, Yale Cancer Center

8:45–9:15 AM

FIRESIDE CHAT
Investing for the Future of Oncology Using Digital Tools and Platforms

Annie Lamont, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Oak HC/FT

Moderator: David Scheer, President, Scheer & Company

9:15–9:35 AM

OPENING KEYNOTE
AI and the Practice of Oncology: Can It Bend the Curves for Quality and Cost?

Clifford Hudis, Chief Executive Officer, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

9:35–10:05 AM

KEYNOTE
The State of Affairs in Breast Cancer

Eric Winer, Alfred Gilman Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology; Director, Yale Cancer Center; Deputy Dean for Cancer Research, Yale School of Medicine; President and Physician-in-Chief, Smilow Cancer Hospital

10:05–10:15 AM

SPECIAL SPEAKER
Introductory Remarks

Governor Ned Lamont, State of Connecticut

10:15–10:45 AM

BREAK

10:45–11:20 AM

PANEL
The State of Affairs in Lung Cancer

Sarah Goldberg, Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology) and Chief of Thoracic Oncology, Yale School of Medicine

Katerina Politi, Joseph A. and Lucille K. Madri Professor of Pathology, Deputy Director, Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine

Moderator: Vicky Brown, US Head of Oncology and Emerging Disease Areas, Boehringer Ingelheim

11:20–11:40 AM

MINI-KEYNOTE
A Journey Back into Oncology Innovation: Case Study of a Large Biopharma’s Reemergence in Oncology R&D

Hesham A. Abdullah, Senior Vice President, Global Head of Oncology R&D, GSK

11:40 AM–12:00 PM

MINI-KEYNOTE
The State of Affairs in Brain Cancer: A Next Frontier?

Ranjit Bindra, Harvey and Kate Cushing Professor of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine; Co-Director, Yale Brain Tumor Center

1:00–1:50 PM

Lunch and Networking

1:50–2:20 PM

FIRESIDE CHAT
Moving Into Earlier Stages Of Disease: What Does Functional Cure Look Like And How Do We Achieve It?

Susan Galbraith, Executive Vice-President, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca

Moderator: Martin Mackay, Chair and Co-Founder, Rallybio

2:20–2:55 PM

PANEL
Rare Pediatric Oncology Innovation and Advocacy

Peter Adamson, Global Head, Oncology Development, Servier Pharmaceuticals

Max Colao, Chief Executive Officer, OncoVerity

Pamela Gavin, Chief Executive Officer, NORD

Tara Henderson, Chair of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine; Associate Director for Pediatrics, Yale Cancer Center; Chief of Pediatrics, Yale New Haven Hospital; Pediatrician-in-Chief, Yale New Haven Health System

Ching Lau, Scientific Director, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Connecticut Children’s; Professor, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine

Moderator: Mike Apkon, President, Sand Street Advisors, LLC; Former Vice President Yale Children’s Hospital; Former Chief Executive Officer, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, and Tufts Medical Center

2:55–3:30 PM

PANEL
Technology Platforms, Precision Medicine and Clinical Translation:
Conversation from the C-Suite

Robert Plenge, Executive Vice President, Chief Research Officer, Bristol Myers Squibb

Cristian Massacesi, Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Head of Development, Bristol Myers Squibb

Moderator: Brian Alexander, Chief Executive Officer, Valo Health, formerly CEO Foundation Medicine

3:30–3:55 PM

BREAK

3:55–4:15 PM

MINI-KEYNOTE
The Role of Diagnostics Across the Continuum: From Innovation to Cancer Management

Anne-Renee Hartman, Chief Medical Officer, Adela

4:15–4:35 PM

MINI-KEYNOTE
Innovation in AI-Enabled Medical Devices for Cancer Diagnostics and Treatment

Austin Chiang, Chief Medical Officer, Medtronic Global Endoscopy

4:35–5:05 PM

Case Study for a Transformative Deal in Oncology: Halda/JNJ

Yusri Elsayed, Senior Vice President & Global Oncology Therapeutic Area Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

Kat Kayser-Bricker, Vice President, Integrated Discovery Portfolio, Johnson & Johnson; Former Chief Scientific Officer, Halda Therapeutics

Tim Shannon, General Partner, Canaan

Moderator: Rachel Humphrey, CEO, Normunity

5:05–5:15 PM

Reflections of Day 1

David Scheer, President, Scheer & Company

Eric Winer, Director, Yale Cancer Center

5:30–7:00 PM

Evening Reception and Networking

Day 2: Therapeutics, Investment, and Strategic Collaboration

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

7:30–8:30 AM

Registration and Breakfast

8:30–8:45 AM

OPENING
Welcome and Day 2 Overview

David Scheer, President, Scheer & Company

Eric Winer, Director, Yale Cancer Center; President and Physician-in-Chief, Smilow Cancer Hospital

Jodie Gillon, President and Chief Executive Officer, BioCT

8:45–8:55 AM

OPENING KEYNOTE
The State of The State

Daniel O’Keefe, Commissioner, Department of Economic and Community Development
Chief Innovation Officer, State of CT

8:55–9:30 AM

PANEL
Academic and Industry Collaboration in Oncology Clinical Translation

Ian Krop, Chief Clinical Research Officer, Yale Cancer Center

Patricia LoRusso, Director, Early Phase Clinical Trials Program, Yale Cancer Center

William Oh, Director, Precision Medicine, Yale Cancer Center

Ahmed Sawas, Medical Director, Hematology Real-World Evidence Lead, Flatiron Health

Shashi Shankar, Chief Executive Officer, Novellia

Moderator: Jane Healy, Vice President, Therapeutic Area Head, Early Stage Oncology, Global Clinical Development, Merck Research Laboratories

9:30–10:00 AM

FIRESIDE CHAT
AI Innovation and the Role of Peer-Reviewed Publications

Raja-Elie Abdulnour, Chief Clinical Innovation Officer and Editor of NEJM Clinician, NEJM Group

Harlan Krumholz, Harold H. Hines Jr. Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Director of Yale Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Moderator: Sanjay Aneja, Associate Professor, Therapeutic Radiology; Director of Informatics and Data Science, Yale Cancer Center; Associate Editor JNCI-CS

10:00–10:30 AM

FIRESIDE CHAT
Has the Field of Cell Plasticity and Cancer Stem Cell Biology Come of Age as a Therapeutic Target?

Christine Chaffer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Kembi Therapeutics; Lab Head, Garvan Institute

Bob Weinberg, Founding Member, Whitehead Institute (virtually)

Moderator: Janie Merkel, Corporate Strategy Officer for Health & Life Sciences, Yale Ventures

10:30–11:05 AM

PANEL
Cracking the Code on Drugging Oncology’s Toughest Targets and Transforming Patient Outcomes

Jan Smith, Chief Scientific Officer, Revolution Medicines

Angela Cacace, Chief Scientific Officer, Arvinas

Jonathan Hurov, Executive Vice President, Discovery Biology, Parabilis Medicines

Bob Weinberg, Founding Member, Whitehead Institute (virtually)

Moderator: Danette Daniels, Vice President, Protein Degrader Platform, Foghorn Therapeutics

11:05–11:35 AM

BREAK

11:35 AM–12:10 PM

PANEL
Policy and Access in Oncology: Overcoming Barriers to Treatment

Victoria Barghout, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Viver Health

Margaret Callahan, Chief, Division of Hematology and Oncology, The University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Dawn Holcombe, Executive Director, Connecticut Oncology Association

Padmanabhan Premkumar, President, Hartford Healthcare Medical Group

Eric Winer, Director, Yale Cancer Center; President and Physician-in-Chief, Smilow Cancer Hospital

Moderator: Jodie Gillon, President & Chief Executive Officer, BioCT

12:10–12:30 PM

MINI-KEYNOTE
From COVID Vaccines to Tumor Vaccines: Reflections and Opportunities for Breakthrough Innovation

Tal Zaks, Partner, OrbiMed Advisors LLC; Former Chief Medical Officer, Moderna

12:30–1:05 PM

PANEL
Immuno-Oncology, ADCs, Cell Therapies: The Big Picture and Emerging Modalities

Mika Derynck, Senior Vice President, Therapeutic Area Head of Oncology, Gilead

Jay Fine, President of R&D, EvolveImmune Therapeutics

Andy Souers, Vice President & Distinguished Research Fellow, Oncology Discovery Research, AbbVie

Moderator: Daniel Petrylak, Professor of Medicine and Urology, Yale School of Medicine; Director, Genitourinary Oncology Research Program, Yale Cancer Center

1:05–2:05 PM

Lunch and Networking

2:05–2:25 PM

MINI-KEYNOTE
Data Science and Tools in MedTech Innovation

Peter Schulam, Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson MedTech

2:25–3:00 PM

PANEL
Platform Technologies and Therapeutics Innovation

Iya Khalil, Vice President & Head of Data, AI & Genome Sciences, Merck Research Laboratories

Matthew Hewitt, Vice President, CTO Manufacturing and Operations, Charles River Laboratories

Robert Abel, Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer, Platform, Schrödinger

Molly He, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Element Biosciences

Moderator: David Weinstock, Venture Partner, RA Capital, Former Senior Vice President and Global Head of Oncology, Pharma R&D, Roche; Former Vice President of Discovery Oncology, Merck

3:00–3:35 PM

PANEL
Investing for Innovation in Oncology

Gwen Cheni, Director of AI/Q Fund, Connecticut Innovations

Avi Kometz, Partner, Medical Technologies, Deerfield

Maha Radhakrishnan, Sofinnova Ventures

David Reshef, Venture Partner, GV (Google Ventures)

Steve Squinto, Chief Investment Officer, JP Morgan Life Sciences Partners

Moderator: David Scheer, President, Scheer & Company

3:35–4:10 PM

PANEL
Corporate Collaborations, Strategic Partnerships, and M&A as Drivers of Innovation

Scott DeWire, Corporate Senior Vice President, Global Head of BD&L, Boehringer Ingelheim

Michael Diem, Senior Managing Partner, Pfizer Ventures; Vice President, WW Business Development, Pfizer