A Message from the President
Dear Colleagues,
Last month, the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) recognized and celebrated International Day of Women and Girls in Science. With International Women’s Day approaching (March 8), it reminds us of our responsibility and commitment to help advance the careers of women in the cancer immunotherapy field.
As the successor to the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) first female president, Lisa H. Butterfield, PhD, I am privileged to continue and expand our society’s support of women involved with research and development in the laboratory, clinic, industry and all other areas related to immuno-oncology.
Dr. Butterfield championed many causes, programs and initiatives during her tenure as SITC President, including working to ensure the society was recognizing and encouraging professional development for women. This included hosting women’s receptions at the past two SITC Annual Meetings, offering women an opportunity to network, celebrate successes and discuss important topics critical to their advancement.
Through Dr. Butterfield’s continued leadership, and with support from many of our fellow colleagues, SITC will host its first-ever Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network (WIN) Leadership Institute this summer. Scheduled for Aug. 19–20, 2019, in Seattle, the SITC WIN Leadership Institute will provide a forum for attendees to discuss important topics relevant to their advancement, including how to break through the glass ceiling; negotiation tactics; and critical leadership skills. Also of note, the program is free to attend. Women interested in attending this exciting one-and-a-half-day program are encouraged to submit an application by April 15.
SITC is currently recruiting our members to join the Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network Database. This database will contain a repository of leaders in the field of cancer immunotherapy with an interest in serving as subject matter experts for a variety of potential roles, such as presenting data at SITC meetings, conducting article reviews for the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), serving in organizer roles to plan future meetings and more.
Those interested in being considered for such future opportunities can submit their credentials via the SITC Volunteer Portal, a members-only benefit. If you have questions about the database, please contact Senior Administrative Manager Rosanne Stelpflug.
I, along with all the leadership of SITC, wholeheartedly support the efforts of the WIN. The WIN is a key part of our society’s commitment to developing future female leaders in science and medicine – some who will hopefully follow Dr. Butterfield’s footsteps and serve as SITC President in the future. I’m also sending a reminder that SITC member registration for the 34th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2019) opens soon – on March 26. Scheduled for Nov. 6–10 in National Harbor, Md., SITC 2019 will take our society to new heights and I look forward to seeing new and familiar faces this fall.
Sincerely,
Mario Sznol, MD
SITC President
SITC Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network Leadership Institute
The Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network (WIN) is a SITC initiative seeking to promote and elevate women in the cancer immunotherapy field. An initiative championed by SITC Immediate Past President Dr. Lisa H. Butterfield, the network includes programs that provide a forum for women to discuss important topics relevant to their advancement.
The SITC Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network Leadership Institute, scheduled for Aug. 19–20, 2019, in Seattle, is a free, one-and-a-half day program organized by luminaries in cancer immunotherapy that seeks to empower emerging female leaders.
Click here to apply to attend the institute, which will explore topics relevant to women that include:
- Learn to break through the glass ceiling
- Explore negotiation techniques
- Master the art of saying no
- Receive guidance to help survive in a political world
- Learn leadership skills, including conflict resolution strategies and public speaking
Women interested in attending this free program are encouraged to apply by April 15, 2019.
Women in Cancer Immunotherapy Network Database
Available to SITC members, the WIN is creating a database that can be used to better identify female experts to engage in society activities.
The network is seeking women interested in presenting data, speaking at meetings, serving as subject matter experts, conducting article reviews for the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), serving as meeting chairs, co-chairs, organizers, and more. Female SITC members are asked to sign up for this opportunity via the SITC Volunteer Pool to indicate your interest and be included in this database. SITC will use this information to better ensure balanced representation in all society activities. Please join now to be a part of this exciting effort within the society.
If you have questions about the database, please contact Senior Administrative Manager Rosanne Stelpflug.
SITC Awards Annual Meeting Survey Respondents with Gift Cards
Thank you to those attendees of the 33rd Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2018) who completed our post-meeting survey. Your insights are extremely helpful as SITC meeting attendance continues to grow each year.
Three survey respondents were randomly selected and awarded gift cards. SITC congratulates the following individuals:
- Adriana Benavides, PhD – American Association for Cancer Research
- Emily Hinchcliff, MD – University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Joana Lérias, DVM, PhD – Champalimaud Foundation