March 25, 2013
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

Sponsored by

Symposium Course Description:

We have analyzed the proteomics of >8000 blood and tumor tissue samples to discover diagnostic, prognostic and mechanistic biomarkers of malignancy. In this symposium we will present case studies highlighting significant advances in biomarker validation for malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. Clinical experts in each field will discuss study design, proteomic analysis, test performance and clinical utility for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.

Learning Objectives:

• Proteomic study designs for early detection of cancer
• Results, physiology and biology for proteomic studies of malignancy
• How proteomic characterization of tumor tissue provides synergy with blood-based discoveries
• How unbiased approaches to measuring proteins work
• The utility of proteomics for advancing clinical knowledge

Who Should Attend:

Researchers and scientists in:

• Clinical medicine
• Translational medicine
• Biomarker discovery
• Oncology drug discovery or development

Program Agenda:

• 11:00 – 11:15: Malignant Mesothelioma, Harvey Pass, M.D.
• 11:15 – 11:35: Lung Cancer Tissue Proteomics, Geoff Baird, M.D., Ph.D.
• 11:35 – 11:45: Pancreatic Cancer, Randall Brand, M.D.
• 11:45 – 12:00: Q&A

Moderator Information:

Rachel Ostroff, Ph.D.
Director, Clinical Research, SomaLogic

Rachel joined SomaLogic in 2001. Rachel received her Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology from the University of Colorado where she studied pathogenic mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Following a post-doctoral fellowship studying the molecular biology of cell cycle regulation, Rachel joined BioStar, Inc. as a research scientist and developed rapid point of care infectious disease tests for the pediatrics and women’s health markets. As Clinical Research Director at SomaLogic, Rachel is responsible for developing clinical oncology programs beginning with biomarker discovery and continuing through validation and commercialization. She has led successful programs in early detection of many malignancies, including lung cancer, mesothelioma and pancreatic cancer. Other areas of interest include risk prediction models and utilizing SOMAscan technology to develop novel tools for translational oncology research.

Speaker Information:

Geoffrey Baird, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Clinical Chemistry, Harborview Medical Center Assistant
Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology University of Washington, Seattle

Dr. Baird has been an assistant professor at the University of Washington in Seattle since 2008. Prior to this, he received a B.S. in Chemistry from Stanford University and obtained his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of California, San Diego, designing fluorescent indicators under the direction of Professor Roger Tsien, the 2008 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. Dr. Baird then moved to UW for residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, and trained in Clinical Immunohistochemistry and Molecular Pathology under Dr. Allen Gown at PhenoPath in Seattle, WA. Since joining the faculty at UW, Dr. Baird has directed the clinical chemistry and toxicology laboratories in Seattle's busy county hospital, and he has maintained an active research laboratory investigating proteomic and histochemical methods, specifically those utilizing oligonucleotide aptamer technology.

Randall Brand, M.D.Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC); Academic Director of the GI division, Shadyside hospital; Director of the GI Malignancy Early Detection, Diagnosis and Prevention Program, UPMC

Dr. Brand is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). He is Academic Director of the GI division at Shadyside hospital and Director of the GI Malignancy Early Detection, Diagnosis and Prevention Program at UPMC. He initially received his undergraduate degree and completed medical school at the University of Michigan. Following his Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Michigan, he completed his gastroenterology fellowship at University of California, San Francisco. His clinical interest includes treating patients with suspected pancreatic cancer and other pancreatic diseases as well as caring for family members from pancreatic cancer-prone kindreds. He is involved in numerous pancreatic cancer studies focused on developing novel approaches to detect pancreatic cancer early before the onset of symptoms and new strategies to determine who should undergo pancreatic cancer screening.

Harvey Pass, M.D.Director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery, NYU

Dr. Harvey Pass is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Johns Hopkins University and Duke Medical School. After completing his cardiothoracic training at the Medical University of South Carolina and a year as a cardiac surgery attending physician, he devoted his career to treating thoracic malignancies including lung cancer, pulmonary metastases, esophageal cancer, and mesothelioma. In 2005, Dr. Pass was recruited to be the first Director of the NYU Division of Thoracic Surgery. His laboratory at Bellevue Hospital is the home of the NCI-funded Early Detection Research Network Biomarker Discovery Laboratory for Mesothelioma, and the Clinical CORE for the NCI’s recently funded Mesothelioma Pathogenesis Program Project. He has solidified NYU’s 3-year Thoracic Fellowship Training Program for individuals interested in general thoracic surgery. The program trains superb surgeons and thoracic scientists for the future