9:00 am Opening and Introductions

Organizing Committee and PDAEC Chairs

9:10-10:00 am Applied Science Oral Presentation Session

Bhasker Radaram, Ph.D.

Department of Cancer Systems Imaging

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“Conjugation of HOPO to protein and radiolabeling with Zr-89: comparative stability and biodistribution in normal mice”

Natalia Heredia, Ph.D.

Department of Health Disparities Research

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“Co-action between physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake in a racially diverse group of obese adults”

David Frank, Ph.D.

Department of Behavioral Science

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“Identifying smokers at higher risk for relapse: Validation of a neuroimaging-based classification algorithm”

Jemima John, Ph.D.

Department of Health Disparities Research

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“A process evaluation of satisfaction and engagement measures from Project FITT: A mixed methods study ”

10:00-11:00 am Invited Speaker:

Alessandro Grattoni, Ph.D.

Professor and Research Institute Chair

Department of Nanomedicine

Houston Methodist

"Micro-Nanotechnologies for medicine on-Earth and in Space"

11:00-11:40 am First Poster Session and Coffee Break

11:40 am-12:30 pm Basic Research Oral Presentation Session

Prosun Das, Ph.D.

Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis,

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“Histone Methylation Regulator PTIP is Required to Maintain Normal and Leukemic Bone Marrow Niches”

Maria Neus Bota Rabassedas, Ph.D.

Department of Thoracic Head and Neck Medical Oncology

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“Metastatic tumor cells influence the transcriptomic and positional heterogeneity of cancer-associated fibroblasts”

Emilly Schlee Villodre, Ph.D.

Department of Breast Medical Oncology

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“Lipocalin 2 promotes inflammatory breast cancer tumorigenesis and skin invasion”

Jia Li, Ph.D.

Center for Epigenetics & Disease Prevention

Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine

“Tet protein mediated DNA methylation oxidation regulates ventricular chamber development"

12:30-1:30 pm Breakout Session and Lunch

1. Workshop: "Negotiation skills for your career and a better work-life balance"

2. "Grants: Navigating the process pre and post award"

1:30-2:30 pm Invited Speaker:

Ilya Levental, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, CPRIT Scholar

Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology

UTHealth

"The organization and function of the mammalian plasma membrane"

2:30-3:20 pm Clinical/Translational Research Oral Presentation Session

Jeremy Schraw, Ph.D.

Department of Medicine

Baylor College of Medicine

“Metabolomic profiling improves prediction of minimal residual disease and reveals potential metabolic vulnerabilities in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia”

Vaishnavi Sambandam, Ph.D.

Department of Thoracic Head and Neck Medical Oncology

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“Susceptibility of NOTCH1 mutant head and neck squamous carcinoma to PI3K/mTOR pathway inhibition via PDK1”

Nicole Kettner, Ph.D.

Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“Combined inhibition of STAT-3 and DNA repair in palbociclib resistant ER-positive breast cancer cells”

Vancheswaran Gopalakrishnan, Ph.D.

Department of Surgical Oncology

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“Implications for clinical trial design based on host factors and variation of the gut microbiome of complete responders to immune checkpoint blockade and healthy individuals ”

3:20-4:00 pm Second Poster Presentation and Coffee Break

4:00-5:00 pm Keynote Speaker:

Michelle C. Barton, Ph.D.

Professor and Dean of GSBS

Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis

MD Anderson Cancer Center

"Following the last refuge of scoundrels all the way to therapeutic potential"

5:00-5:15 pm Award Ceremony and Closing Remarks

5:15-6:15 pm Reception