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2025  Program 

Keynote Speakers:

Ralph De Berardinis, UT Southwestern

Karen Cichowski, Harvard

Session Topics and Speakers: 

Exposure-Induced Cancers

Jean Nakamura, UC San Francisco

Aria Vaishnavi, MD Anderson​

Targeting RAS Oncoproteins: Lessons from the Lab and the Clinic

Matt Holderfield, Revolution Medicines

Frank McCormick, UC San Francisco​

Ferdinandos Skoulidis, MD Anderson

YAP/TAZ/TEAD; Basic Science & Drug Development

Anwesha Dey, Genentech

Laurent Sansregret, Novartis​

Next-Generation Antibody-Drug Conjugates

Sarat Chandarlapaty, Memorial Sloan-Kettering

Hanspeter Gerber, Sutro Biosciences

Puja Sapra, Astra Zeneca​

Extrachromosomal DNA​

Chris Hassig, Boundless Bio

Paul Mischel, Stanford 

Andrea Ventura, Memorial Sloan-Kettering

Breakthroughs in Cancer Epigenetics

Karim-Jean Armache, NYU

Arul Chinnaiyan, University of Michigan

Kunal Rai, MD Anderson​

Panel Discussion: Navigating the Venture Capital - Biotech Ecosystem

Karthik Ardhanareeswaran, Google Ventures ​

Alexandra Cantley, Polaris

Julie Grant, Canaan

Frank McCormick, UCSF

 

 

About Snowbird Resort

Averaging more than 500 inches of annual snowfall per year, Snowbird is North America’s most accessible alpine resort destination, located just 29 miles from Salt Lake City International Airport. With the mountain’s iconic Aerial Tram providing access to 2,500 acres of legendary terrain, Snowbird is home to year-round big mountain experiences at the top of Utah.

About CMTRA

The Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Research Association (CMTRA) is committed to advancing the most contemporary—and often controversial—approaches to cancer treatment. Our mission is to foster rigorous scientific dialogue and collaboration across sectors, bringing together investigators from industry, academia, government, and foundations.

What Sets CMTRA Apart

  • Interactive Presentations: Each session dedicates 50% of its formal presentation time to Q&A, encouraging deep discussion and critical engagement.

  • Cross-Sector Collaboration: We promote active dialogue among diverse stakeholders to challenge conventional thinking and spark innovation.

  • Intimate Networking Environment: With fewer than 100 participants, our meetings offer a uniquely personal setting for graduate students, postdocs, residents, and investigators at all career stages.

  • A Legacy of Excellence: CMTRA has hosted more than two decades of annual conferences, each building on the last to push the boundaries of cancer research.

CMTRA Annual Conferences

CMTRA Conferences are hallmark events in the cancer research community. The CMTRA Board and event team are currently preparing for the 2026 Annual Conference at Snowbird Resort in Salt Lake City, a venue known for its inspiring natural beauty and collaborative atmosphere.

We anticipate this gathering will meet—and exceed—expectations, continuing our tradition of excellence in scientific exchange and community building.

Explore photos, agendas, and highlights from previous CMTRA Annual Conferences below.

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ANNUAL MEETINGS

The Cancer Molecular Therapeutics Research Association [CMTRA] was created in 2008 to organize and host the annual Molecular Therapeutics of Cancer meeting. The meeting objective is to provide a forum for presentation and discussion of contemporary research in the field of cancer drug development and therapy. Modeled after small Gordon-type conferences, the meeting provides an opportunity for young and established researchers to discuss and challenge current paradigms for cancer drug development and therapy, as well as a venue where novel ideas can be presented with anticipation of lively debate.

Meeting Agendas
*Click Picture 

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2026 Conference

Snowbird Resort

Salt Lake City, Utah

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2025 Conference

The Homestead Resort

Midway, Utah

Image by Towfiqu barbhuiya

2021-2020 Conference

Cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

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2023 Conference

Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel 
Watkins Glen, NY

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2019 Conference

Granlibakken Tahoe Resort & Conference Center
Lake Tahoe, CA

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2022 Conference

Skamania Lodge
Stevenson, WA

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2018 Conference

Sundance Resort

Sundance, UT

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2024 Conference

Granlibakken Tahoe Resort & Conference Center 

Lake Tahoe, CA

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2017 Conference

Hilton Burlington Hotel
Burlington, VT

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2014 Conference

Asilomar
Pacific Grove, CA

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2016 Conference

University of Washington
Seattle, WA

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2013 Conference

University of Colorado
Boulder, CO

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2015 Conference

Tufts University
Medford, MA

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2012 Conference

Princeton University
Princeton, NJ

CMTRA

Officers & Board Members

MARTIN MCMAHON, PhD

Board President

Cumming-Presidential Professor of Cancer Biology & Senior Director for Preclinical Translation | Huntsman Cancer Institute & Dept. of Dermatology | University of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT

LORI FRIEDMAN, PhD

 Board Vice President

Chief Scientific Officer | ORIC Pharmaceuticals | 

South San Francisco, CA

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RALPH DeBERARDINIS, MD, PhD

Board Member

Director of the Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development | Director, Genetic and Metabolic Disease Program | 

UT Southwestern Medical Center

SHIVA MALEK, PhD

Board Member

Global Head, Oncology | Novartis Institute of Biomedical Research

ARIA VAISHNAVI, PhD

Treasurer 

Assistant Professor | Department of Cancer Biology |University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | Houston, TX

EMMA LEES, PhD

Board Member

Senior Vice President | Mechanisms of Cancer Resistance | 

Thematic Research Center | Bristol Myers Squibb

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ELI M. WALLACE, PhD

Board Member

Chief Executive Officer | BridgeBio Oncology Therapeutics

BOB ABRAHAM, PhD

Board Member

Scientific Advisor | Google Ventures 

Chief Scientific Officer | Engine Biosciences

ZAHID H. SIDDIK, PhD

Board Member

Professor of Medicine | Pharmacology Department of Experimental Therapeutics | MD Anderson Cancer Center | Houston, TX

MICHELLE ARKIN, PhD

Board Member 

Chair and Thomas William and Frederick John MacWilliam Distinguished Professor | Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry | UCSF | San Francisco, CA

 

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MATT PATRICELLI, PhD

Board Member 

Chief Scientific Officer | Vividion Therapeutics

San Diego, CA

Emeritus Board Members: 

  • Will Placzek, Ph.D. - Associate Professor | Cancer Gene Regulation| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL

  • James D. Winkler, Ph.D. - Chief Scientific Officer | OnKure Therapeutics | Boulder, Colorado
    Mary-Ann Bjornsti, Ph.D. - Professor Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL

  • Peter Houghton, Ph.D. - Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute | UT Health at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX

  • Phillip Dennis, M.D., Ph.D. - Sanofi Oncology | 

  • Robert Kramer, Ph.D. - RAKramer Consulting LLC |  Newton, PA

  • Alan Eastman, Ph.D. - Professor Emeritus | Norris Cotton Cancer Center | Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH

  • John A. Hickman, D.Sc. - Agon Consulting, Paris 

  • Branimir I. Sikic, M.D. - Director | Stanford Clinical & Translational Research Unit; Co-director | Stanford University School of Medicine | Stanford, CA  

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 Administrative Contact 

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