Sparkathon 2024 Schedule

Sparkathon Main Page Program DetailsSITC Meeting Code of ConductBack to Top ↑

Sparkathon 2024 Schedule

Metabolism in Tumor immunity

SITC will select 15 of the brightest and most promising early career scientists that will meet on March 12-14, 2024 in Miami, FL.

Accepted participants will also convene at a second meeting on November 5, 2024, prior to the society’s 39th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2024) in Houston, TX.

Select a day >

Tuesday, March 12

Wednesday, March 13

Thursday, March 14

Tuesday, March 12

Session 1 
1:30-2:30 p.m.

Registration and Badge Pickup
2:30-2:40 p.m.

Welcome and Introduction on the Program's Goals and Expectations

Jennifer Guerriero, PhD  - Brigham and Women's Hospital

Marco Ruella, MD  - University of Pennsylvania

2:40-3:30 p.m.

Keynote Address and Best of Spring Scientific
Greg Delgoffe, PhD - University of Pittsburgh
3:30-4 p.m.

Panel Discussion: What is Needed to Become an Independent Investigator

Abby Overacre-Delgoffe, PhD  - University of Pittsburgh

Daniel Powell, PhD  - University of Pennsylvania

Weiping Zou, MD, PhD  - University of Michigan
4-4:30 p.m.

Panel Discussion: The Role of Mentorship in Career Development

Patrick Hwu, MD  - Moffitt Cancer Center

Thomas Marron, MD, PhD  - Mount Sinai Hospital

Jeff Rathmell, PhD  - Vanderbilt University Medical Center
4:30-4:45 p.m. Break

Session 2 
4:45-5:15 p.m.

Mentoring Session: How to Give an Effective Talk
Marco Ruella, MD - University of Pennsylvania

5:15-5:45 p.m.

Mentoring Session: How to Give an Effective Chalk Talk

Jennifer Guerriero, PhD - Brigham and Women's Hospital

5:45-6 p.m.

Team Building Activity
Jennifer Guerriero, PhD  - Brigham and Women's Hospital

Marco Ruella, MD  - University of Pennsylvania
6:30 p.m. Offsite Dinner 

Wednesday, March 13

Session 3

9-9:05 a.m.

Welcome

Jennifer Guerriero, PhD  - Brigham and Women's Hospital

Marco Ruella, MD  - University of Pennsylvania
9:05-10:35 a.m.

Round Table Scientific Session

Abby Overacre-Delgoffe, PhD  - University of Pittsburgh

Jeff Rathmell, PhD  - Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Weiping Zou, MD, PhD  - University of Michigan 
10:35-10:50 a.m.

Break

Session 4
10:50-11:20 a.m.

Panel Discussion: Establishing Effective Collaborations between MD and PhDs and Academia, Pharma, and Government

James Gulley, MD, PhD, FACP  - National Cancer Institute

Ashely Koegel, MD  - Bristol Myers Squibb

Thomas Marron, MD, PhD  - Mount Sinai Hospital

111:20-11:50 a.m.

Mentoring Session: Supporting your Research by Getting Research Funding - Grant Writing and Other Mechanisms

Daniel Powell, PhD  - University of Pennsylvania
11:50 a.m.-12:50 p.m.

Networking Lunch

Session 5
12:50-1 p.m.

Introduction to the Class of 2024 Participants - How Scoring Works

Jennifer Guerriero, PhD  - Brigham and Women's Hospital

Marco Ruella, MD  - University of Pennsylvania
1-1:10 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Meriem Belabed, PhD  - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
1:10-1:20 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Mara De Martino, PhD  - Weill Cornell Medicine
1:20-1:30 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Carlos Wagner de Souza Wanderley, DVM, PhD  - Brigham and Women's Hospital
1:30-1:40 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Alexandra Dreyzin, MS, MD  - Children's National Hospital
1:40-1:50 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Devikala Gurusamy, PhD  - National Cancer Institute
1:50-2 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Jaeseung Hahn, PhD  - Columbia University
2-2:10 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Imene Hamaidi, PhD, PharmD  - Mayo Clinic
2:10-2:20 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Ann Hanna, PhD  - Vanderbilt University Medical Center
2:20-2:50 p.m. Break

Session 6
2:50-3 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Juyeun Lee, DVM, PhD  - Cleveland Clinic, Lerner Research Center
3-3:10 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Xiaoxiao Ma, PhD  - Cleveland Clinic Foundation
3:10-3:20 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Geoffrey Markowitz, PhD  - Weill Cornell Medicine
3:20-3:30 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Ines Mota, PhD  - Weill Cornell Medicine
3:30-3:40 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Abir Mukherjee, PhD  - University of Chicago
3:40-3:50 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Elise Nassif Haddad, MD, PhD  - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
3:50-4 p.m.

Class of 2024 Participant Presentation

Drew Wilfahrt, PhD  - University of Pittsburgh
4:30 p.m. Depart for Offsite Networking Activity
7:30 p.m. Dinner at the Hotel

Thursday, March 14

Session 7
9-9:40 a.m.

Careers in Government and Strategies to Get Published

James Gulley, MD, PhD, FACP - National Cancer Institute
9:40-10:10 a.m.

Update on Class of 2023 White Paper

Simon Deycmar, PhD
10:10-10:40 a.m.

Brainstorming for Class of 2024 White Paper
10:40-11 a.m.

Break

Session 8
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Round Table Scientific Session

Greg Delgoffe, PhD  - University of Pittsburgh

Daniel Powell, PhD  - University of Pennsylvania 

Jeff Rathmell, PhD  - Vanderbilt University Medical Center
12:30-1:30 p.m. Networking Lunch

Session 9
1:30-2 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Job Market and Negotiating Your Appointment/Contract

Patrick Hwu, MD  - Moffitt Cancer Center

Abby Overacre-Delgoffe, PhD  - University of Pittsburgh

Marco Ruella, MD  - University of Pennsylvania
2-2:30 p.m. Careers in Industry
Ashley Koegel, MD - Bristol Myers Squibb
2:30-2:40 p.m. Closing Remarks

Jennifer Guerriero, PhD  - Brigham and Women's Hospital

Marco Ruella, MD  - University of Pennsylvania