A Message from the President
Dear Colleagues,
Summer is already here, and our attention is increasingly focused on the 34th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2019), scheduled for Nov. 6-10, 2019. Organizers and staff have already put more than a year’s worth of planning and work into this meeting, and the pace of preparations will increase substantially over the next few months.
This year our meeting will return to the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. The venue has hosted many successful SITC programs and this fall will be no different. The Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs connects all of us in the cancer immunotherapy field, including established and leading academic and government investigators in basic, translational and clinical research, early career investigators, patient care providers, industry professionals, regulatory colleagues and patient advocates.
This summer, SITC is launching its all new Career Connections initiative to make it even easier to connect with each other in ways that could foster new, long-lasting professional relationships. This program will connect job seekers and talent seekers in the cancer immunotherapy field with an enhanced year-round online platform and new opportunities for in-person connections at SITC 2019. Stay tuned for more details about the Career Connections initiative in the next few weeks and months.
We’ve observed a surge in quantity and quality of abstract submissions to the SITC Annual Meeting in recent years as our field has grown and matured. One of our goals for the Annual Meeting over the last several years has been to increase opportunities for oral abstract presentations, in order to better recognize and share the work and to give more opportunities for oral abstract presentations to early career investigators. This year we are nearly doubling the number of oral abstract presentations over the previous year. For those considering submitting an abstract to SITC 2019, don’t forget the deadline to submit a regular abstract or late-breaking abstract application is Aug. 1, 2019, at 5 p.m. PDT.
We continue to develop collaborations with other professional societies and organizations. We owe this spirit of collaboration to several of our past presidents. The newest collaboration at our upcoming Annual Meeting, this time with the American Society of Hematology, is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019, from 1-5 p.m. EDT, and will be co-chaired by Katy Rezvani, MD, PhD (The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center), and John M. Timmerman, MD (University of California, Los Angeles). This program will feature exciting presentations on the current state of research in hematologic malignancies.
We are continually adding new program, session and speaker information to the SITC 2019 itinerary. For the latest information regarding the SITC 2019 schedule and session information, please visit the SITC 2019 website today. Hotel rooms in National Harbor are limited and rapidly being reserved, so please don’t hesitate to confirm your registration today and secure your lodging in National Harbor.
Great scientific organizations are often associated with high quality journals publishing impactful, state of-the-art research. We are very proud to report that the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC) increased its impact factor this year to 8.676. The impact factor places JITC in the top 3 percent of all fully open access oncology journals and ranks it in the top 8 percent of all journals published in the oncology and immunology categories. Congratulations to JITC Editor-in-Chief Pedro Romero, MD, the JITC Editorial Board, its vast collection of reviewers and SITC staff for hitting it out of the park again. Please consider submitting your best research to JITC or becoming a reviewer for the journal as we continue to grow its reputation and impact in oncology.
Finally, the 2019 SITC Election is fast approaching. Scheduled for July 10-24, 2019, SITC regular members and emeritus members will consider six candidates to fill three future openings for three-year terms as At-Large Directors on the SITC Board of Directors. Thank you to this year’s candidates who have offered their time and expertise to serve our Society.
Please visit the SITC website today to learn more about each of this year’s six candidates (or continue scrolling to view their names), including their biographies and positions statements. If you are not currently a SITC member, I hope you’ll consider joining SITC today.
Sincerely,
Mario Sznol, MD
SITC President
2019 SITC Election
July 10-24, 2019
Online voting for the 2019 SITC Election begins Wednesday, July 10! This year, SITC members will vote to fill three openings on the SITC Board of Directors. Voting will be open for two weeks before closing on Wednesday, July 24. As a reminder, only regular members and emeritus members are eligible to vote in the SITC Election.
Get to Know 2019 SITC Election Candidates
View the biographies and position statements of the six candidates who will seek to fill three positions on the SITC Board of Directors. Click the names below to learn more about this year’s candidates:
Topics to be discussed include:
Return to the society’s website, SITC Cancer Immunotherapy CONNECT, beginning July 10 to cast your ballot!
SITC recognizes the important contributions of its three outgoing at-large directors, who will conclude their three-year term at the conclusion of this year:
- Charles G. Drake, MD, PhD – Columbia University Medical Center
- Leisha A Emens, MD, PhD – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
- Kristen Hege, MD – Celgene Corporation
SITC Announces 2019 Fellowship Award Recipients
SITC is pleased to congratulate the recipients of the 2019 SITC Named Fellowship Awards, which support the next generation of cancer immunotherapy and tumor immunology experts through dedicated funding of novel research.
SITC-Amgen Cancer Immunotherapy in Hematologic Malignancies Fellowship Award
Awardee: May Daher, MD
Institution: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Project Title: “CIS checkpoint deletion in cord blood derived iC9.CAR19.IL-15 NK cells to treat B-cell hematologic malignancies”
Award Amount: $100,000 (one year)
SITC-AstraZeneca Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer (Early Stage NSCLC) Clinical Fellowship Award
Awardee: Chen Zhao, MD
Institution: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Project Title: “Investigating microbiota-immune interaction in patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer”
Award Amount: $100,000 (one year)
SITC's Holbrook Kohrt, MD, PhD Cancer Immunotherapy Translational Memorial Fellowship Award (sponsored by Genentech)
Awardee: Yimin (Victor) Du, PhD
Institution: The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Project Title: “Fine-Tuning Natural Killer Cells to Target T-Cell Resistant Tumors”
Award Amount: $100,000 (one year)
Click here to learn more about the SITC Fellowships Awards.
34th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2019)
Nov. 6-10, 2019, in National Harbor, Md. • View Schedule
Registration and housing for SITC 2019, the leading destination for scientific exchange, education and networking in the cancer immunotherapy field, is open to the general public!
- Early registration deadline: Oct. 9, 2019
- Final registration deadline: Nov. 1, 2019
- Onsite registration: Nov. 5–10, 2019
SITC members receive discounted registration to all society meetings, including SITC 2019. If you are not currently a SITC member, you can become a SITC member simply through the SITC 2019 registration process. Click here to secure your attendance to SITC 2019.
Call for SITC 2019 Abstracts
Submission deadline: Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019, at 5 p.m. PDT
Regular Abstract
Submit your latest research in the cancer immunotherapy field to the 34th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2019) for consideration as an oral abstract presentation, rapid oral abstract presentation, and/or poster abstract presentation until 5 p.m. PDT on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2019.
Late-Breaking Abstract
Late-breaking abstract (LBA) submission is solely for abstracts with late-breaking data and not for abstracts submitted “late.” The late-breaking abstract deadline is not intended to be an extension of the general submission deadline.
All LBA submitters must submit an application by 5 p.m. PDT on Aug. 1, 2019, to be eligible for the LBA submission period. Applications will be reviewed and all submitters will be notified if they qualify to submit a late-breaking abstract during the submission period from Aug. 23, 2019, to 5 p.m. PDT on Sept. 12, 2019.
If an application does not qualify for late-breaking abstract submission, the submitter will be notified by Aug. 9, 2019, and will have the opportunity to submit a regular abstract by 5 p.m. PDT on Aug. 14, 2019. Late-breaking abstracts are considered for, but not limited to, oral abstract presentations during the Late-Breaking Abstract Sessions from Noon – 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 and 11:50 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019.
For more information, see the 2019 Regular and Late-Breaking Abstract Reference Guide.
Make Your Mark at SITC 2019
Sponsor or advertise at the largest cancer immunotherapy conference with an opportunity to get your message in front of an estimated 5,000 attendees. This event brings together international leaders from academia, regulatory and government agencies, as well as industry representatives. To learn more about the exciting opportunities contact development@sitcancer.org.
The Program
34th Annual Meeting
Nov. 7-10, 2019
34th Annual Meeting Organizers
- Ana Carrizosa Anderson, PhD – Harvard Medical School
- Marianne Davies, DNP, AOCNP – Yale School of Nursing
- Stefani Spranger, PhD – Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT
- Ahmad A. Tarhini, MD, PhD – Emory University and Winship Comprehensive Cancer Center
Annual Program Committee
- Chair: Sandra Demaria, MD – Weill Cornell Medicine
- Davide Bedognetti, MD, PhD – Sidra Medical
- Patrick Hwu, MD – University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Krista Rubin, MS, FNP-BC – Massachusetts General Hospital
- Dario A.A. Vignali, PhD – University of Pittsburgh
The 34th Annual Meeting provides a multidisciplinary educational and interactive environment focused on improving outcomes for current and future patients with cancer by incorporating strategies based on basic and applied cancer immunotherapy.
Pre-Conference Programs
Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019
World Immunotherapy Council’s 3rd Young Investigator Symposium
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
WIC Organizers
- Samir N. Khleif, MD – Georgetown University
- Jose A. Lopez-Martin, MD, PhD – 12 de Octubre University Hospital & Research Institute
- Brad Nelson, PhD – BC Cancer – Deeley Research Centre
- Graham Pawelec, PhD – University of Tuebingen
- Barbara Seliger, MD, PhD – Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
- Joe Yeong, MBBS, PhD – Singapore General Hospital
The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer and the World Immunotherapy Council (WIC) are dedicated to advancing cancer immunotherapy and, likewise, the future leaders of the field. This program will provide the opportunity for young scientists and future leaders from throughout the world to interact, fulfilling the World Immunotherapy Council’s mission to facilitate rapid development and global dissemination of cancer immunotherapies through scientific exchange.
Novel Multi-Targeted Therapeutic Platforms
2 – 6:30 p.m.
Program Organizers
- Alessandra Cesano, MD, PhD – NanoString Technologies, Inc.
- Edward Cha, MD, PhD – Genentech
- Leena Gandhi, MD, PhD – Eli Lilly
- Israel Lowy, MD, PhD – Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
- Salil Patel, PhD – Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Eric Rubin, MD – Merck & Co., Inc.
With the approval of the first bispecific T-cell engager in 2018, and with many more such multi-targeted antibodies in clinical trials, there has been a resurgence of interest in these multi-functional platforms. Other related platforms, such as cytokine fusions and CAR T cell approaches, are also making their mark on the cancer treatment landscape. As these agents make their way into the clinic, however, many important scientific and clinical questions have been raised. During this half-day program, multi-targeted therapeutic platforms will be discussed by experts in the field, along with the opportunity for investigators to submit their own related work for consideration at this unique symposium.
Submit an Application to Present
Industry and academic investigators who are working on novel multi-targeted therapeutics are welcome to submit an application describing their research for the opportunity to present during the Novel Multi-Targeted Therapeutics Pre-Conference Program.
For more information and to submit a presentation application, please click here.
Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019
Primer on Tumor Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy™
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Primer Organizers
- Michael Curran, PhD – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Jonathan Powell, MD, PhD – Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
The understanding of cancer immunobiology has increased dramatically in recent years, leading to the successful development of novel immune-based treatment options to improve cancer patient outcomes. The SITC Primer on Tumor Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy™ is designed to provide a foundation for understanding core immunology principles as they relate to basic and clinical research in immunotherapy of cancer.
Workshop on Intratumoral Immunomodulation
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Workshop Organizers
- Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD – The Tisch Cancer Institute at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Adi Diab, MD – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Immunotherapy treatments inherently rely on the presence of immune cells, both systemic and localized to the tumor microenvironment. Immunologically “hot” tumors, such as melanoma, have demonstrated enhanced responses to immunotherapy treatments; however, many tumors are “cold”, lacking the necessary immune components for a successful treatment. Many techniques, including radiotherapy, synthetic immunomodulators, oncolytic viruses, and certain systemic treatments, have been shown to manipulate the immune status of the treated tumor microenvironment, and even those tumor sites elsewhere in the body (abscopal effects). Such manipulations can increase the presence of desirable immune infiltrates and potentially lead to favorable treatment outcomes. In this workshop, the current status of intratumoral immunomodulation will be presented and future directions for the field will be discussed, along with their implications for current and forthcoming immunotherapy treatments.
Grant Writing Workshop: The study section black box: A look inside the grant review process
6 – 8 p.m.
Grant Writing Workshop Organizers
- David Aggen, MD, PhD – Columbia University Medical Center/NYPH
- Ana Carrizosa Anderson, PhD – Harvard Medical School
- Lorenzo Falchi, MD – Columbia University Medical Center
- Saman Maleki, PhD – Western University
- Claire Vanpouille-Box, PhD – Weill Cornell Medical College
This two-hour program features two sessions. The first session will open with an overview of the grant submission process, briefly outlining funding opportunities and how to navigate those. Session one will also address critical points of government and private sector grant submissions. The second session will consist of a “mini-study section,” allowing attendees to experience how a study section evaluates a grant proposal, which will help attendees identify points that determine the success or failure of a grant proposal and help them optimize the process of grant re-submission.
Publication Announces Top 20 Immunology Articles of 2018
The Journal of Immunology has announced the 20 articles that were most downloaded in 2018. These articles address hot topics in immunology today—including a translational article on psoriasis and a guide to mass cytometry data. Several of the articles in the Top 20 are from "The Cancer Immunotherapy Revolution: Mechanistic Insights" special section in the January 15, 2018, issue.
Articles included in the list are:
Click here to review the complete list today.
