A Message from the President

Dear Colleagues,

On Oct. 3, I was thrilled to hear the news that my friend and colleague, James P. Allison, PhD, was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, together with Tasuku Honjo, MD, PhD. As most of you know, Dr. Allison and Prof. Honjo (also both SITC Smalley Award recipients) are pioneers in the field of immune checkpoint blockade therapy, which has become a foundational component of cancer treatment across the globe. What a wonderful acknowledgement of the impact in our field to patients, and for the contributions of these two scientific world leaders. 

Here in Pittsburgh, the sky is a bit grey, there is a cool breeze, and the trees are starting to change color. This can mean only one thing: the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) 33^rd Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2018) are coming soon! 

Our society’s Annual Meeting is the perfect gathering place for early career scientists. This fall, SITC will give out 33 young investigator awards – four presidential and 29 abstract travel awards – honoring some of the brightest young minds in the field. This year’s recipients are below. At SITC 2018, in addition to the Workshop on Nutrition, Metabolism and the Microbiome in Cancer Therapy, there will be great opportunities for abstract author networking during poster hall presentations on Nov. 9 and 10, or in small group discussions during the Meet-the-Expert Lunch and Grant Writing Workshop. The Meet-the-Expert Lunch connects young investigators to leaders in cancer immunotherapy to discuss topics most relevant to their careers. SITC is expanding this in-person program into a series of webinars throughout the year. SITC will host the first webinar on “How to Survive in Academia.”

The young investigators of SITC Sparkathon Class of 2017, Teams TimIOs and METIOR Incubator, are preparing to present their project updates during the 33^rd Annual Meeting. I was happy to kick off proceedings for the 28 young investigators of SITC Sparkathon Class of 2018 during their retreat in Chicago, Sept. 12-14, 2018. The winning project from these early career scientists will be announced soon. Learn more about the 2018 Class’s project in The Node, a SITC booth dedicated to early career scientists during the 33^rd Annual meeting. You can support the SITC Sparkathon through a contribution to the Forward Fund.

Also upcoming, SITC will host a co-sponsored workshop with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Immune-modified Response Criteria in Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trials. This free, innovative workshop, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, prior to the 33^rd Annual Meeting, is another step forward for SITC as we positively leverage relationships with organizations and governmental agencies to incite progress in the field. More details on this workshop are provided further below.

I am excited about a new education program from SITC early next year. The SITC Winter School, scheduled for Feb. 18-22, 2019, in Mesa, Ariz. This five-day program will teach core principles of the field and focus on multiple topics including biomarker technology, clinical trial design, grant writing and have discussion sessions.Click here to learn more about this important program and register.

In August, SITC launched a new series of online communities created exclusively for SITC members. These SITC Professional Interest Communities, including clinical and post-doctoral trainees, graduate students and international young investigators, allow members to discuss topics relevant to their research and in their careers, to build relationships with colleagues and solve hurdles in the field. Click here to learn more about the SITC Professional Interest Communities.

With all of these opportunities for young investigators, the future of the field is in a good place. 

Sincerely,

SITC President

SITC Congratulates Dr. Allison and Prof. Honjo, Former Smalley Award Recipients, on the Nobel Prize

SITC congratulates James P. Allison, PhD, and Tasuku Honjo, MD, PhD, renowned cancer immunotherapy scientists and past recipients of the society’s highest honor, for their reception of the Nobel Prize in the category of physiology or medicine.

Dr. Allison, Chair of the Department of Immunology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and a SITC member since 2001, along with Prof. Honjo, Professor at the Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine at Kyoto University in Japan, were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.

To learn more about Dr. Allison’s contributions to the field, including viewing past presentations from SITC meetings, please visit SITC CONNECT.

Attend the Workshop on Nutrition, Metabolism and the Microbiome in Cancer Therapy

The Workshop on Nutrition, Metabolism and the Microbiome in Cancer Therapy, a Nov. 8, 2018, Pre-Conference Program of the SITC 33^rd Annual Meeting, will present to attendees major advances and future prospects of the microbiome space in cancer therapy.

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will have a better understanding of:

• Gut oncomicrobiome signatures relevant in cancer immunotherapy
• Mode of action of commensals in the setting of cancer therapies in solid and hematologic malignancies
• Nutrition and microbiome changes and clinical outcome
• Inflammatory links between microbiome shifts and colorectal cancer

Scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., this workshop is intended for basic scientists and clinical investigators from academia, venture capitals, industry and regulatory agencies.

Learn more about this workshop and complete your registration today.

FDA and SITC Co-Sponsored Workshop on Nov. 8

SITC is pleased to announce plans for a new co-sponsored workshop about Immune-modified Response Criteria in Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trials led by SITC and FDA representatives this fall. This free, innovative workshop will take place from 2–6 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2018, in Washington, D.C., at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

The goals of this workshop include:

• To provide a forum for open discussion among academia, industry, international regulatory bodies, payers and patient groups to evaluate current methods for assessing efficacy of cancer immunotherapeutics and identify opportunities for advancing immune-modified, tumor measurement-based efficacy endpoint data to support regulatory, clinician, and patient decision making
• To ensure the leading experts in cancer immunotherapeutics have an opportunity to evaluate international efforts to standardize immune-modified response criteria in cancer trials
• To seek feedback from stakeholders on current FDA thinking regarding use of immune-modified response criteria in the assessment of tumor measurement-based endpoints in development programs of cancer immunotherapeutics

Workshop Organizers: 

• Michael B. Atkins, MD – Georgetown – Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Howard L. Kaufman, MD, FACS – Replimune Group Inc.
• Samir N. Khleif, MD – Georgetown University 
• Ke Liu, MD, PhD – FDA, CBER
• Marc Theoret, MD – FDA, Office of Hematology and Oncology Products

This workshop is intended for stakeholders interested in immunotherapeutic cancer drug development including, international academia, industry, regulatory agencies, consulting firms, payer groups and patient groups.

Click here to learn more about this workshop and register to attend.

SITC Launches Professional Interest Communities

SITC Professional Interest Communities are an original series of online communities created exclusively for SITC members who are researchers and clinicians in the cancer immunotherapy field to expand their network and receive career development support from colleagues.

Join a SITC Professional Interest Community to discuss your current and future research, scientific applications and career development needs, help colleagues address professional hurdles and build new relationships. SITC members of similar professional disciplines and experience will work together to identify and recommend ways their colleagues and the society can solve hurdles in the field.

SITC Professional Interest Communities exist in the following categories:

• Clinical Trainee Community
• Graduate Student Community
• International Young Investigator Community
• Post-doctoral Trainee Community

Attend the 2019 SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School

Join SITC for the 2019 Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School, a comprehensive cancer immunotherapy program in Mesa, Ariz., Feb. 18–22, 2019. Taught by leading experts, this five-day program will provide attendees a deep understanding of the core principles of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy and examine developing areas in the field.

Developed specifically to instruct future scientists and clinicians, the program will first cover the fundamentals of cancer immunotherapy before allowing participants to tailor their experience by selecting the track most relevant to their educational goals. 

During the course of the week, attendees will learn about:

• Core principles of tumor immunology and cancer immunotherapy
• Biomarker technology, validation and clinical integration
• Clinical trial design, data analysis and considerations for combination therapies
• Grant writing to obtain research funding

Click here to learn more and register today for the 2019 SITC Cancer Immunotherapy Winter School.

SITC to Honor 33 Young Investigators at 33^rd Annual Meeting

The following is a complete list of the 33 early career scientists who will be honored for their research during an Award Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, at the society’s 33^rd Annual Meeting:

Presidential Travel Awards

• Gabriel Abril-Rodriguez, MS – UCLA
• Kristin G. Anderson, PhD – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• Yu Cao, PhD – H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
• Hiroshi Yano, BS – University of Pittsburgh

Abstract Travel Awards

• Lawrence Andrews, PhD – University of Pittsburgh
• Ellen Duong – Jounce Therapeutics
• Colt Egelston, PhD – Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
• Beth Helmink, MD, PhD – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Priyamvada Jayaprakash, PhD – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Daniel H. Johnson, MD – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Anusha Kalbasi, MD – UCLA
• Chang Liu, PhD – University of Pittsburgh
• Alak Manna, PhD – Mayo Clinic
• Teresa Manzo, PhD – IEO
• Ileana S. Mauldin, PhD – University of Virginia
• Ravi Patel, MD, PhD – University of Wisconsin
• Sangeetha Reddy, MD, MSci – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Nathan E. Reticker-Flynn, PhD – Stanford University
• Dayana B. Rivadeneira, PhD – University of Pittsburgh
• Alexander I. Salter, BS – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• Nicole E. Scharping, BS – University of Pittsburgh
• Meenu Sharma, PhD – The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Eugene Shenderov, MD, PhD – Johns Hopkins Hospital
• Kellie N. Smith, PhD – Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Ashwin Somasundaram, MD – University of Pittsburgh
• Davis Y. Torrejon, MD – UCLA Hematology-Oncology Department
• Joshua R. Veatch, MD, PhD – Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• Jiao Wang, PhD – Purdue University
• McLane Watson, BS – University Of Pittsburgh
• Jiajia Zhang, MD, MPH – Johns Hopkins University
• Ting Zhou – Yale University School of Medicine

Immuno-Oncology Young Investigators' Forum Awardees Announced

In April 2018, SITC was pleased to collaborate with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Creative Educational Concepts, Inc., on the 2018 Immuno-Oncology Young Investigators' Forum (IOYIF). U.S.-based young investigators submitted and presented their research during the program.

SITC Vice President Mario Sznol, MD, and SITC Vice President-elect Patrick Hwu, MD, served as activity chairs for the program. SITC President Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD, was among the faculty expert judges.

The Immuno-Oncology Distinguished Young Investigator Award ($10,000 grant) provides recognition for junior faculty who continue their dedication and sustained research efforts in immunotherapy. This year’s awards were presented to:

• Research Scientist Winner: Aaron Ring, MD, PhD – Yale University School of Medicine
  • Research Title: “Decoy-resistant” Interleukin-18 Overcomes the Soluble Immune Checkpoint IL-18BP to Unlock a Potent Immunotherapeutic Cytokine Pathway
• Clinician Scientist Winner: Robin Parihar, MD, PhD – Baylor College of Medicine
  • Research Title: Natural Killer Cells Targeting the Suppressive Immune Microenvironment Rescue the Impaired Activity of CAR T-cells within Solid Tumors

To learn more about this year’s IOYIF award winners, click here to view the program newsletter.