The Utah Cancer Research Symposium (UCRS) brings together cancer researchers from institutions across Utah to foster new connections and strengthen collaborative research. By building stronger collaborations across institutions and disciplines, we aim to accelerate scientific discoveries that improve cancer prevention and patient outcomes.
Event Details
When: Thursday, August 13, 2026
9 AM - 1 PM
Where: Huntsman Cancer Institute
Research South First Floor Auditorium
Agenda
9:00 A.M.
INTRODUCTION & WELCOME
Bradley Cairns, PhD
CEO, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Don Ayer, PhD
Senior Director of Cancer Training & Career Enhancement,
9:15 A.M.
OMICS & COMPUTATIONAL APPROACHES IN CANCER
From Data to Discovery: Translational Bioinformatics for Collaborative Cancer Research
Paul Stewart, PhD
Investigator, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Associate Professor, Nutrition & Integrative Health, University of Utah
Overcoming Key Classification Challenges in Single-Cell Proteomics
Alyssa Nitz
SCCR graduate fellow, Payne Lab, Brigham Young University
Treatment Response and Resistance in Lung Cancer Patients: MET-HER3 Crosstalk and Adaptive Cancerous Signaling
Morgan Payne
SCCR graduate fellow, Gassaway Lab, Brigham Young University
Merging PTM Proteomics, Genomics, and Alphafold to Identify Key Points of Pathway Regulation in Cancer
Matt Banks
Postbaccalaureate, Andersen Lab, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Activating Cancer Hallmarks Through Changes in mRNA/Protein Regulation
Sam Payne, PhD
Brigham Young University
10:05 A.M.
BREAK
10:15 A.M.
CANCER BIOLOGY
The Pathobiology of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
Shannon Elf, PhD
Investigator, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Associate Professor, Internal Medicine, University of Utah
Unconventional GPCR Signaling in the Hedgehog Cascade
Ben Myers, PhD
Investigator, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Associate Professor, Oncological Sciences, University of Utah
Laminin-332-Enriched Microenvironment Promotes Migration and Metastatic Potential In NSCLC
Pam Van Ry, PhD
Brigham Young University
Investigating Pediatric Sarcomas Using Zebrafish Models
Martin Distel, PhD
Investigator, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Associate Professor, Pediatrics, University of Utah
Targeting NRAS Signaling for Future Therapy of Melanoma
Martin McMahon, PhD
Senior Director of Preclinical Translation, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Professor, Dermatology, University of Utah
Targeting Cancer Associated with Autoimmune Disease: Specific Elimination of Autoreactive Cells Using CAAR T Cells and LINK CAR Technology
Scott Weber, PhD
Brigham Young University
Targeting the Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Synovial Sarcoma
Paytin Curran
SCCR undergraduate fellow, Jones Lab, Huntsman Cancer Institute
MOTO CARs: a Novel Approach to Treating Cancer
Kim O’Neil, PhD
Brigham Young University
11:30 A.M.
BREAK
11:40 A.M.
POPULATION DATA SCIENCE IN CANCER
Assessing Cancer in the All of Us Research Program
Matt Bailey, PhD
Brigham Young University
Emerging Research About the Impacts of Wildfires on Cancer Care Delivery and Relevant Health Outcomes
Judy Ou, PhD
Investigator, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, University of Utah
Advancing Cancer Research Through Population Science and the Utah Cancer Registry
Jennifer Doherty, PhD, MS
Co-Leader, Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Professor, Population Health Sciences, University of Utah
Mechanisms of Infection-Driven Tumorigenesis and Potential for Early Detection and Intervention
Evan Johnson, PhD
Rutgers University
12:20 P.M.
CONCLUSION
Neli Ulrich, PhD, MS
CSO and Executive Director, Huntsman Cancer Institute