Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School

Feb. 22–24, 2021 • VIRTUAL Program

ORGANIZERS

Christian Capitini, MD – University of Wisconsin-Madison
Leisha A. Emens, MD, PhD – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Daniel Powell, PhD – University of Pennsylvania

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) is pleased to host its third annual Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School, a comprehensive cancer immunotherapy education program, which will be held virtually on Feb. 22–24, 2021. Taught by leading experts in the field, this program provides a deep understanding of the core principles of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy as well as developing areas in the field including biomarker technology, validation and clinical integration; clinical trial design, data analysis and considerations for combination therapies.

The program is tailored to early-to-mid career scientists and clinicians in the field of cancer immunotherapy working in academic, clinical, industry and government settings as well as those new to the field. The curriculum covers the fundamentals of cancer immunotherapy and features separate tracks, including clinical and research, allowing participants to tailor their experience by selecting the educational path most relevant to their learning goals.

Target Audience

Early-to-mid career scientists in the field of cancer immunotherapy working in academic, clinical, industry and government settings
Individuals new to the field working in academic, clinical, industry and government settings

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

In addition to deepening their understanding of integral facets of the field of cancer immunotherapy, attendees also expand their professional network, developing new relationships with faculty and other thought leaders in this intimate setting through small group breakout sessions and networking roundtables.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of the Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School, participants will be able to:

Describe the core principles of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy
Discuss recent advances in biomarker technology, validation and clinical integration
Explain appropriate clinical trial data analysis methods and best practices in clinical trial design

Travel Awards

To support young investigators and clinicians interested in attending the Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School, SITC accepted applications for travel awards, which will supplement costs for those honored to attend. Those honored with a 2021 Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School travel award include:

Xue Bai, MD — Peking University Cancer Hospital
Amy Cunningham–Bussel, MD, PhD — Brigham and Women's Hospital
Sapana Kadel, PhD — Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Barbara Ma, MD — New York Presbyterian / Weill Cornel
Filippo Pederzoli, MD — IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele

SITC Clinical Immuno-Oncology Network Workshop

New to the Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School for 2022 is the SITC Clinical Immuno-Oncology Network (SCION) Workshop.

ORGANIZERS AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Organized by Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer, PhD (Medical University of South Carolina), Michael Lotze, MD, FACS (University of Pittsburgh) and Yana Najjar, MD (University of Pittsburgh), this program will enable selected participants, determined through an application process, to develop their own immunotherapy clinical trial protocols with the help of experts in the field.

Through hands-on breakouts, participants will work in small groups, each group consisting of students paired with three dedicated faculty, including two clinicians/scientists and a statistician. These expert faculty are equipped to help participants navigate the unique considerations that accompany immunotherapy treatments, which will enable them to develop well-designed clinical trials that can effectively move the field forward.

tARGET AUDIENCE

This program is tailored to those working in the field of cancer immunotherapy, including, but not limited to clinical fellows, junior attendings, PhD scientists and Industry representatives.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of the SCION Workshop, participants should be able to:

Recognize best practices and overcome the unique challenges in clinical trial design specific to cancer immunotherapy
Describe cancer immunotherapy clinical trial endpoints, biomarker development and validation and combination strategies
Develop their own clinical trial design with appropriate clinical and biomarker endpoints, and draft a protocol and informed consent
Estimate cost, process steps, quality issues, and regulatory path for development and approval of ATMPs
Understand the special issues associated with ATMPs, medicines based on genes, tissues or cells in Oncology