Keynote Speakers
Prof Nadar Sani
Dr Sanai oversees all brain tumor research at Barrow Neurological Institute. In 2018, he founded and directs the Ivy Brain Tumor Center, a not-for-profit drug development program for brain tumor patients. Its precision medicine program is the first of its kind worldwide and it specializes in clinical trials designed to accelerate drug development. The Ivy Center includes more than 50 scientists, clinicians, and clinical trial specialists and is a world leader in designing experimental treatments for brain cancer.
Prof Anthony Chalmers
Prof Anthony Chalmers is Chair of Clinical Oncology at the University of Glasgow. His clinical practice at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre is devoted to the treatment of patients with brain tumours, and he runs the Translational Radiation Biology laboratory in the Institute for Cancer Sciences. His main research interest is in improving outcomes for patients with glioblastoma by combining radiotherapy with drug therapies that target the DNA damage response. His laboratory also studies the mechanisms responsible for treatment resistance in GBM including a novel link between radiation response and the invasive phenotype of these tumours.
Dr Soma Sengupta
Dr. Soma Sengupta is a leading expert in neuro-oncology, serving as Clinical Professor of Neurology and Division Chief, while also driving research and clinical trials that advance care for patients with brain tumors and neurofibromatosis. Since 2011, my research has focused on the GABA-A receptor and its role in brain tumors. GABA-A receptors are proteins found in the cell membrane that respond to the neurotransmitter GABA. Alongside my husband, Dr. Daniel Pomeranz Krummel, and my mentor, Professor James Cook, we have developed small molecules designed to cross the blood-brain barrier and target brain cancers in a novel way
Mr David Fizgerald
David became the Director of Policy and Strategy for the NHS Cancer Programme in January 2018. He joined NHS England after four years in the Cabinet Office Implementation Unit, where he led the social policy team which advised the Prime Minister on delivery in areas including health, education, skills, housing and welfare. From 2008 to 2013, David worked at the Department for Education, first as bill manager for the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill and then as head of Childcare Funding Division, where he led the implementation of the coalition government’s commitment to extend free childcare to two year olds from lower income families. Before that, David spent 12 years at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport where he worked on arts, sport and gambling policy, and as Private Secretary to the Arts Minister.
Prof Haikun Liu
I was born in 1978 and began my academic journey studying biology at Shandong Normal University in China. From there, I moved on to earn my doctorate at the Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. After completing my doctorate, I had the opportunity to work as a postdoc at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) from 2005 to 2010. It was a valuable experience that laid the foundation for my future research. In 2011, I took on the role of head of the Helmholtz Young Investigator Group. This eventually evolved into the Molecular Neurogenetics Department, which I proudly established in 2015. My department is part of the DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, and the university’s Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences.In my lab, we have made some significant discoveries, like identifying neural stem cells as the cell-of-origin for glioblastoma. We even performed the first cancer stem cell knockout in GBM mouse models! Additionally, we uncovered GPD1 as the first-known marker and regulator of dormant cancer stem cells.
Dr Matthia Karreman
I lead the subgroup Brain Metastasis in the Winkler Laboratory (German Cancer Research Center and University Hospital Heidelberg). Following obtaining my Master of Science in Biology and my PhD at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, I moved to the EMBL Heidelberg for a post-doc in the lab of Dr. Yannick Schwab. Here I developed novel approaches to correlate fluorescence microscopy to 3D-electron microscopy and started a fruitful collaboration with the DKFZ, which spiked my interest in brain metastasis research. Here, me and my team work on preventative strategies against brain metastasis development. We use, amongst others, multiphoton intravital imaging through a chronic cranial window in mice to visualise the dynamic interactions of brain metastatic cells with their unique microenvironment. I have a passion for learning, creating a positive workenvironment and supporting my team in achieving their scientific and career goals.