
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
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Interactive Presentations: Each session dedicates 50% of its formal presentation time to Q&A, encouraging deep discussion and critical engagement.
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Cross-Sector Collaboration: We promote active dialogue among diverse stakeholders to challenge conventional thinking and spark innovation.
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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.
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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.


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.
2024 Conference
Granlibakken Tahoe Resort & Conference Center
Lake Tahoe, CA
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

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

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

MATT PATRICELLI, PhD
Board Member
Chief Scientific Officer | Vividion Therapeutics
San Diego, CA
Emeritus Board Members:
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Will Placzek, Ph.D. - Associate Professor | Cancer Gene Regulation| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL
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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
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Phillip Dennis, M.D., Ph.D. - Sanofi Oncology |
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Robert Kramer, Ph.D. - RAKramer Consulting LLC | Newton, PA
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Alan Eastman, Ph.D. - Professor Emeritus | Norris Cotton Cancer Center | Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH
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John A. Hickman, D.Sc. - Agon Consulting, Paris
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Branimir I. Sikic, M.D. - Director | Stanford Clinical & Translational Research Unit; Co-director | Stanford University School of Medicine | Stanford, CA
