UCSF at AACR 2025
Each year UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center members, physicians, faculty members, and advocates participate in the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
Held April 25-30th in Chicago, the theme of this year’s conference, “Unifying Cancer Science and Medicine: A Continuum of Innovation for Impact,” showcases the latest advances in the biology, prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer as well as state-of-the-art concepts and technologies shaping cancer research today.
In the News
AI in Cancer Care, Targeted Therapies Among Cancer Conference Talks
Leading cancer researchers from UC San Francisco presented talks about advances in targeted therapies, cancer genomics, using AI to personalize cancer treatment, improving diagnosis of hard-to-treat cancers and other cancer research topics at this year’s annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) conference, held April 25-30 in Chicago.
YouTube Playlist: Deeper Dive into AACR Presentations
Featured videos of presenters and attendees
- Javid Moslehi, MD | Cardio-Oncology: A Novel Platform for Investigation
- Xiaokun Shu, PhD | Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics, Drug Development
- Frank McCormick, PhD, FRS, DSc | Developments in RAS Signaling Inhibition UCSF Cancer
- Travis Zack, MD, PhD | AI and Natural Language Processing
- Valerie Weaver, PhD | Tissue Mechanics and Physical Forces in Cancer
- Laura Huppert, MD | Liquid Biopsy: Circulating Tumor Cells
This is the way to start the day!! #AACR25
— TerriConneran (@TerriConneran) April 27, 2025
Doc (Shokat ) that found the Pocket to kick the first KRAS .. #KRASKicker 💥 pic.twitter.com/T4ncgG6PZk
At the #AACR25 plenary, Matthew Krummel, PhD, (@UCSFCancer) explores therapeutic strategies to reshape the tumor micro- and macroenvironment, including 12 tumor immune archetypes that may help uncover novel targeted treatments.
— Moffitt Cancer Center (@MoffittNews) April 29, 2025
Read more: https://t.co/xVHeBTJbTo#MoffittAACR25… pic.twitter.com/JUjNRTgr2r
“The field as a whole, in the last 10 years, has gone incredibly fast to come up with innovative molecules to target KRAS” @kevansf @UCSF in #AACR25 Keynote | Addressing KRAS Resistance, RAS(ON) Therapies Find Limelight at AACR https://t.co/Nqkjeqa6JL @aacr pic.twitter.com/zopgxzhrHD
— UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Ctr (@UCSFCancer) May 5, 2025
Highlights on Social Media
🚨 #ClinicalTrials Plenary at #AACR25 @DrUppaluri presents KEYNOTE-689 perioperative pembrolizumab + SOC improves EFS in locally advanced resectable HNSCC
— Ana I. Velázquez Mañana, MD, MSc, FASCO (@AnaVManana) April 27, 2025
🔹Subgroup analysis: no EFS benefit in stage IVA
🔹mPR 13.7% in CPS >=10
🔹Lower rates of path high-risk features… pic.twitter.com/0INDojDzM3
Just one more day until #AACR25! Symposia, Posters, Educational Sessions, and more. View highlights of our @ucsanfrancisco.bsky.social expertise coming to @theaacr.bsky.social annual meeting in Chicago. ow.ly/9lrg50VHiz0
— UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (@ucsfcancer.bsky.social) April 24, 2025 at 2:47 PM
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Catch the @BivonaLabUCSF team at #AACR25 on April 29th!@Tadashi_Manabe | 2:30–4:00 PM⁰Minisymposium, Room S102@YTChou | 2:00–5:00 PM
— Yu-Ting (@YTChou) April 29, 2025
Section 18, Board 19
Nilanjana Chatterjee | 2:00–5:00 PM⁰Section 17, Board 5
We’ll be sharing our latest research @UCSFCancer pic.twitter.com/wXqGkOtxzI
Saturday, APRIL 26th
METHODS WORKSHOPS Session MW10 - Statistics Made Simple, Engaging, and Practical: A Primer for Non-Statisticians April 26, 2025, 12:30 - 2:00 PM Room S405 - McCormick Pl South (Level 4) 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM Boosting the quality and impact of preclinical studies through the power of statistics Mi-Ok Kim, PhD, MS, MA UCSF
Session MW02 - Application of AI and Natural Language Processing to Advance Cancer Research and Treatment April 26, 2025, 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM Room S100 BC (Grand Ballroom BC) - McCormick Place South (Level 1) 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM - Utilization of language models for medical information retrieval Travis Zack, MD, PhD UCSF
ED SESSION Session ED44 - Theranostics: The Nuts and Bolts April 26, 2025, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Room S401 - McCormick PlSouth (Level 4) 3:05 PM - 3:30 PM - Evolving role of translational and clinical theranostics Robert Flavell, PhD UCSF
Sunday, APRIL 27th
OPENING PLENARY SESSION Session PL02 - Opening Plenary: Unifying Cancer Science and Medicine—A Continuum of Innovation for Impact April 27, 2025, 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Hall B1 - McCormick PlNorth (Level 3) 9:40 AM - 10:07 AM - Overcoming the undruggable nature of the most common human oncogene, K-Ras Kevan M. Shokat, PhD UCSF
MAJOR SYMPOSIUM - Tumor Biology SESSION SY42 - Tissue Mechanics and Physical Forces in Cancer April 27, 2025, 1:00 - 2:30 PM Room E450 A - McCormick Lakeside Center (Level 4) 1:30 PM - 1:50 PM - Forcing cancer initiation and progression through myeloid lipid peroxidation-mediated DNA damage Valerie M. Weaver, PhD. UCSF
CLINICAL TRIALS PLENARY SESSION SESSION CTPL01 - Advances in Immunotherapy April 27, 2025, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Arie Crown Theater - McCormick Lakeside (Level 2) 2:45 PM - 2:55 PM - Discussant Pamela N. Munster, MD. UCSF
MINISYMPOSIUM – Clinical Research MS.CL01.01 - Liquid Biopsy: Circulating Tumor Cells April 27, 2025, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM Room E451 - McCormick Lakeside Center (Level 4) 3:50 PM - 4:05 PM 1147 - Development of a novel assay to detect circulating tumor cells in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with leptomeningeal disease Laura A. Huppert, MD UCSF
CLINICAL TRIALS PLENARY SESSION CTPL02 - New Frontiers in Precision Oncology April 27, 2025, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM Arie Crown Theater - McCormick Lakeside (Level 2) 5:15 PM - 5:25 PM - Discussant Trever G. Bivona, MD, PhD UCSF
TOWN MEETING Session TM07 - Charting the Trajectory for Advancements in Pediatric Cancer Research- A Pediatric Cancer Working Group Town Hall April 27, 2025, 6:30 - 8:30 PM Room S103 - McCormick PlSouth (Level 1) 7:00 PM - 7:10 PM - Chair Alejandro Sweet-Cordero, MD UCSF
Monday, APRIL 28th
MAJOR SYMPOSIUM Molecular/Cellular Biology and Genetics Session SY26 - Metabolism and Organelle Biology in Cancer April 28, 2025, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM Location to be announced 10:15 AM - 10:16 AM - Chairperson Rushika M. Perera. UCSF 11:20 AM - 11:35 AM - Decoding novel lysosome functions in pancreatic cancer Rushika M. Perera, PhD. UCSF
MAJOR SYMPOSIUM Chemistry, Drug Dev, Clinical Research Session SY08 - Developments in RAS Signaling Inhibition: Bench to Bedside April 28, 2025, 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Location to be announced 12:30 PM - 12:31 PM - Chairperson & Presentation 12:35 PM - 12:55 PM - The End of KRAS cancers? Frank McCormick, PhD, FRS. UCSF
ADVANCES IN DIAGNOSTICS AND THERAPEUTICS Session ADT04 - Challenges and Opportunities in the Development of Next Generation Antibody Drug Conjugates April 28, 2025, 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM Location to be announced 1:25 PM - 1:45 PM - Managing and predicting toxicities from new and emerging ADCs Hope S. Rugo. UCSF
MAJOR SYMPOSIUM Science and Health Policy, Regulatory Science and Policy DC07 - Molecular Tumor Profiling for Pediatric Oncology April 28, 2025, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Room S106 - McCormick Place South (Level 1) 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM - Chairperson Alejandro Sweet-Cordero, MD UCSF
Tuesday, APRIL 29th
PLENARY Tumor Microenvironment, Molecular/Cellular Bio Session PL04 - Targeting the Cancer Ecosystem April 29, 2025, 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM Hall B1 - McCormick PlNorth (Level 3) 8:32 AM - 8:59 AM - Leveraging tumor immune archetypes in treating cancer Max Krummel, PhD. UCSF
CLINICAL TRIALS PLENARY SESSION CTPL04 - Biologics and T-cell Engagers April 29, 2025, 10:15 AM - 12:15 PM Arie Crown Theater - McCormick Lakeside (Level 2) 11:00 AM - 11:10 AM - Discussant Hope S. Rugo. UCSF
MAJOR SYMPOSIUM Survivorship, Drug Dev, Clinical Research Session SY05 - Cardio-Oncology: A Novel Platform for Investigation April 29, 2025, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM Location to be announced 10:15 AM - 10:16 AM - Chairperson & Presentation 10:20 AM - 10:40 AM - Immune checkpoint inhibitors and cardiac toxicity: From mice to humans Javid J. Moslehi, MD UCSF
MAJOR SYMPOSIUM Immunology Session SY16 - Novel Classes of Human Cancer Rejection Antigens: Beyond Point Mutations April 29, 2025, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM McCormick Lakeside Center (Level 3) 10:45 AM - 11:05 AM - Tumor-wide RNA splicing aberrations generate therapeutically actionable public neoantigens Hideho Okada, MD, PhD. UCSF
MINISYMPOSIUM - Novel Cancer Therapeutic Targets April 29, 2025, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM Room S102 - McCormick Place South (Level 1) 2:50 PM - 3:05 PM Unveiling the potent anti-tumor activity and underlying mechanism of action of the novel pan-RAF inhibitor exarafenib in BRAF-mutated NSCLC Tadashi Manabe, MD, PhD. UCSF
Wednesday, APRIL 30th
MAJOR SYMPOSIUM Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics,Drug Development April 30, 2025, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM Location to be announced Session SY29 - Biomolecular Condensates in Cancer: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities 10:45 AM - 11:05 AM - New physical biology of oncoprotein condensates: Differential regulation of the transcriptome by phase separation Xiaokun Shu, PhD. UCSF
PLENARY SESSION Session PL06 - AACR Annual Meeting 2025 Highlights: Vision for the Future April 30, 2025, 12:10 PM - 1:30 PM Arie Crown Theater - McCormick Lakeside Center (Level 2) 12:39 PM - 1:04 PM - Prevention, early detection, population sciences, and disparities research Scarlett L. Gomez, PhD, MPH. UCSF