SITC is pleased to host the society’s innovative program designed to foster leadership development, collaborations and scientific exchange among early career investigators who are emerging leaders in the field of cancer immunotherapy: Sparkathon 2.0 Accelerator: Optimizing combination therapy based on immunological mechanisms.
Accepted participants in the Sparkathon Class of 2022 will meet with luminaries in the field for a two-and-a-half day training June 13-15, 2022. These leaders will provide mentorship and the group will address optimizing combination therapy based on immunological mechanisms. Participants and faculty will also convene at a one-day symposium on November 7, 2022 for additional education and to continue work on program outputs.
Accepted applicants into this elite program will participate for free and receive travel reimbursement to SITC Sparkathon Accelerator.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
This two-year program will kick off with an in-person retreat June 13-15, 2022, prior to SITC 2022, in New York City. Sparkathon Class of 2022 participants will present their research on this year’s chosen topic of optimizing combination therapy based on immunological mechanisms. Participants will learn from each other and receive guidance from the experts in a synergistic and intimate environment.
In addition to addressing hurdles that mechanisms of resistance pose to the field, SITC’s Sparkathon 2.0 Accelerator explores topics specifically designed for emerging leaders in the cancer immunotherapy field, including:
- How to manage your lab and team
- How to provide, as well as how to seek mentorship
- Career trajectories across academia, industry and government
Participants will spend two-and-a-half days with the top early career investigators and luminaries in the field to advance their work and accelerate the study of optimizing combination therapy based on immunological mechanisms through new knowledge gained, convergent field discussions and long-term cross institutional collaboration. Sparkathon Class of 2022 participants will continue to meet each year at SITC’s Annual Meeting with future Sparkathon Classes, creating a broad network of early career scientists focused on moving the field forward.
Program Organizers
- Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD – Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and University of California San Francisco
- Jennifer Guerriero, PhD – Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Kristen Hege, MD – Bristol Myers Squibb and University of California San Francisco
- Howard Kaufman, MD, FACS – Ankyra Therapeutics and Massachusetts General Hospital
- Marco Ruella, MD – University of Pennsylvania
Program Faculty