The 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium® has expanded its offerings geared toward early-career scientists with the Career Development Forum, a morning of concurrent workshops from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, December 9, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
Pre-registration for all Forum events was required; check with SABCS® Registration for questions about remaining availability.
The Forum will kick off with the opening session, Career Development Invited Lecture: Dr. Elizabeth Mittendorf: Achieving Your Career Goals: Lessons from a Successful Scientist from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. in the Stars at Night Ballroom 1–2. Elizabeth A. Mittendorf, MD, PhD, MHCM, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The session will be moderated by 2023 SABCS® Program Director Kate Lathrop, MD, UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Planning Your First Clinical Trial will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT in Room 302. This workshop for residents, fellows, and early-stage clinical faculty will feature a 60-minute panel discussion with expert clinical trialists followed by breakout into small groups for peer-to-peer evaluation of a clinical trial concept. Panelists will include:
- Carole L. Baas, PhD, Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation
- Thomas M. Braun, PhD, University of Michigan
- Andrew Brenner, MD, PhD, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Dawn L. Hershman, MD, MS, FASCO, Columbia University Medical Center
- Ruth M. O’Regan, MD, University of Rochester
The workshop will be moderated by Brenda Ernst, MD, Mayo Clinic. The discussion topics will include what to gather before starting to write a trial proposal, funding, access to agents, and building a research team.
“As an early-career clinical scientist, developing your first clinical protocol can feel like trying to push a giant boulder,” said Dr. Lathrop. “It’s hard to figure out where to start or what tools to use. This workshop is designed to help early-career scientists who want to learn practical steps and resources for developing their own clinical research protocols.”
The concurrent workshop Grant Writing Tips and Tricks will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CT in Room 303. This workshop for graduate students, fellows, and early-stage faculty will consist of a 60-minute panel discussion with expert grant writers and reviewers followed by breakout into small groups for peer-to-peer evaluation of a “specific aims” page. Panelists will include:
- Lola Arjona, PhD, National Institutes of Health/Center for Scientific Review
- David Gius, MD, Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Reuben Harris, PhD, Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health San Antonio
- Minetta C. Liu, MD, Natera
The workshop will be moderated by Pooja Advani, MD, Mayo Clinic.
A session focused on career development for women, Navigating Success: Women’s Career Development, will be a dynamic and inclusive event aimed to inspire and support women pursuing careers in scientific research. It has been designed for women who have completed their training and are now in practice. Speakers will include:
- Steffi Oesterreich, PhD, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
- Reshma Jagsi, MD, DPhil, Emory University
- Amelie G. Ramirez, DPH, MPH, UT Health San Antonio
The workshop, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT in Room 304, will be moderated by Anne C. Welsh, PhD, ACC.
The workshop will provide a platform for accomplished female scientists to share their experiences, provide mentorship, and discuss strategies to overcome gender-related challenges in the field of cancer research. Through engaging talks, interactive sessions, and networking opportunities, participants will gain valuable insights, build a stronger support network, and acquire practical tools to thrive and excel in their scientific research careers.