AACR Annual Meeting 2019 Highlighted Latest Advances in Cancer Research

By Lois Zoppi, B.A.Apr 4 2019

On Friday, March 29 to Wednesday, April 3, the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, hosted the AACR Annual Meeting 2019. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting showcased the latest discoveries across a considerable range of cancer research.

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The event covered a range of subject areas, including population science, cancer prevention, cancer biology, translational and clinical studies, and survivorship and advocacy. It featured the most exciting work in research carried out by institutions from around the globe.

Before the show, the AACR President Elizabeth M. Jaffee and Program Committee Chair John D. Carpten, of the USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, offered insights into the importance of the AACR Meetings, and what would be happening across the conference in Atlanta.

It’s a meeting that brings experts from all sectors of the cancer community, from government, academia, pharmaceutical industries, survivorship, patients, patient advocates. The best science, the most up to date science is presented; both basic, translational, and clinical care.

AACR President Elizabeth M. Jaffee

Carpten states that the focus of the AACR Meeting 2019 will have an “extensive focus on the science of cancer health disparities, including a plenary session dedicated to this important topic. In addition, we’ll offer a wide range of educational and scientific sessions covering the entire spectrum of cancer health disparities and research.”

The significance of the AACR’s push for progress in cancer research is clear to see from the AACR Cancer Progress Report for 2018. Research in 2018 led to advances across the entire cancer care spectrum and in public health, with overall cancer incidence and cancer-related death rates decreasing.

People are now living longer and enjoying a better quality of life after a cancer diagnosis thanks to progress made by quality cancer research. Areas that the AACR tackled in 2018 include understanding cancer development, identifying carcinogenic risk factors, and the development of advanced screening tests.

AACR 2019 Exhibits

Exhibit dates ran from March 31 to April 3. Over 450 exhibitors were booked to showcase research, case studies, and products; with exhibits and shows running from 1 pm to 5 pm on March 31, and from 9 am to 5 pm from April 1 to 3.

The exhibit hall also played host to several activities, allowing exhibitors to showcase their latest products and services in one-hour sessions.

The Exhibitor Spotlight Theaters allowed companies to speak directly to their target audience and enabled exhibitors to present new data, run promotional meetings, or introduce new services.

A selection of the exhibitors for March 31 included:

• 10X Genomics with Calvin J. Kuo
  Single Cell and Spatial Transcriptomic Methods to Understand Cancer
   
• AstraZeneca with Jose Baselga and Mark O’Connor
  The Next Wave of DNA Damage Response (DDR) Inhibitors in Oncology
   
• BGI Americas with Yu-Zhen Liu and Lei Zheng
  Case Studies of Biomarker-Assisted Patient Stratification for Oncology Precision Medicine

A selection of the exhibitors for April 1 included:

• PerkinElmer, Inc. with Chady Stephan
  Innovative Platform for Researching Chemotherapy Resistance Using Metallic-Based Drugs One Cell at a Time

• ​​​Miltenyi Biotec GmbH with Andreas Bosio and Uwe Schroeer
  Understand Nature’s Complexity: Miltenyi Biotec’s New Imaging Platforms for High-Content and 3D Imaging
   
• Horizon Discovery with Carlos le Sage
  CRISPR Screening in Primary Human Immune Cells

A selection of the exhibitors for April 2 included:

• QIAGEN Inc. with Ravindra Kolhe and John A. Martignetti
  Deconstructing the Complexity: Tailored Sample to Insight Tools that Put Your Data into Action
   
• Illumina with Kellie Smith
  Driving Precision Oncology Research: From Routine Detection of Tumor Mutational Burden (TMB) to Neoantigen Discovery and the Immune Response

A selection of exhibitors for April 3 included:

• Greiner Bio-One North America, Inc. with Glauco R. Souza and Timothy Spicer
  Magnetic 3D Bioprinting, High-Throughput Screening Platform to Advance Cancer Research
   
• Sobi, Inc. with Owen Wilson
  Evolving Treatment Landscape for Primary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: Approval of First Targeted Therapy

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Career Opportunities at AACR 2019

From 9 am to 3 pm on March 30, AACR 2019 ran its Cancer and Biomedical Research Career Fair in the Georgia World Congress Center, Building B, in rooms B401 and B402.

With over 3,900 attendees in 2018, the career fair provided opportunities to meet with company representatives, and attendees were able to seek open opportunities in academic cancer institutions, pharmaceutical industries, and other scientific organizations.

Summary

The AACR Annual Meeting 2019 offered a massive range of opportunities to both showcase and witness the latest innovations in cancer care and research, with valuable chances to network with peers and meet potential employers.

AACR strives to bring everyone in the cancer community under one roof to celebrate the progress being made across the whole spectrum of cancer research and work together to progress even further in the future.