World Haematology and Medical Oncology Conference May 28-29, 2018 Osaka, Japan

Dr. Yi Zhang received his MD from Henan Medical University and MS from Tongji Medical University. He obtained his PhD at Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium and did his postdoctoral training in Drs Thierry Boon and Pierre van der Bruggen’s lab in Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Brussels Branch. After that, he moved to University of Chicago and worked as Research Assistant Professor in Dr. Hans Schreiber’s lab. In 2005, he was recruited as Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Medical University of South Carolina. Currently, he is a distinguished Professor and Director in Biotherapy Center & Cancer Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. His laboratory investigates the key cellular components such as effector T cells, regulatory immune cells and caner stem cells in tumor microenvironment and their clinical relevance, especially in lung cancer and esophageal cancer. He concentrates on the aberrant expression of cancer-testis (CT) antigens (such as MAGE-A3, MAGE-C2, NY-ESO-1 etc.) and the corresponding antigen-specific T cells in lung cancer and esophageal cancer. Furthermore, they are dedicated to develop TCR or CAR gene-modified T cells and against tumor antigens for potential antigen-specific T cell therapy. He published 184 papers and 85 publications in internationally peer-reviewed journals.

He concentrates on the aberrant expression of cancer-testis (CT) antigens (such as MAGE-A3, MAGE-C2, NY-ESO-1 etc.) and the corresponding antigen-specific T cells in lung cancer and esophageal cancer.

Qiao Li, Ph.D., has long been involved in both animal studies and clinical trials in cancer immunotherapy. His laboratory research interests focus on the development of cancer immunotherapy using immune cells, such as T cells, B cells and dendritic cells (DCs). Specifically, application of anti-tumor B cells, and generation of DC-based cancer stem cell (CSC) vaccines to target cancer stem cells represent novel directions in cancer immunotherapy. Administration of DC-CSC vaccine targeting CSCs inhibited local tumor recurrence, reduced spontaneous lung metastasis, and prolonged animal survival. Mechanistically, his novel CSC vaccination strategy conferred host both antibody responses and CTL functions against cancer stem cells which resulted in significantly reduced number of cancer stem cells in the treated host.

His laboratory research interests focus on the development of cancer immunotherapy using immune cells, such as T cells, B cells and dendritic cells (DCs).

Dr. Salah Aref is currently working as professor of Hematology in Mansoura University; Egypt; and Director of Mansoura University Oncology Center Laboratories. He is also working as Member in National board for promotion of Professors in Hematology. He completed his education from The Mansoura University. He published more than 60 papers in the field of hemato-oncology. He received many awards from Egyptian National Academy of Science; Mansoura University and International Society of Laboratory Hematology. He is acting as Editorial Board Member and Peer Reviewer of many peer reviewed international journals and authored many books.

Dr.Salah Aref`s research interest are in Hematological Oncology field,Molecular Study of Hematological Disorders,Angiogenesis in Hematological Malignancies

Dr. Ryan S. Robetorye received his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He is board certified in Clinical Pathology, Hematology, and Molecular Genetic Pathology and currently works as a Consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. He currently serves as the Medical Director of several clinical laboratories at the Mayo Clinic.

His research interests primarily involve hematological malignancies and molecular diagnostics involving NGS.

Dr. Young Chae is a clinical trialist and a physician-scientist dedicated to translational research that enables personalized medicine in cancer patients. In addition to his clinical training as internist, hematologist, and medical oncologist, he is trained in molecular biology, genomics, epigenomics, proteomics and biostatistics. He considers himself as a bridge between lab and clinic who brings clinical insights into the benchside and also takes major scientific breakthroughs into the bedside. Currently, he is the co-director of the developmental therapeutics program of the division of hematology oncology and the co-chair of the early phase multi-histology disease team at the Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. He has maintained his focus in early phase clinical trials throughout his career. He is in charge of many targeted therapy clinical trials and immunotherapy combination trials applying tissue and blood based biomarkers including comprehensive genomic profiling via next generation sequencing. His interest is in thoracic oncology, precision oncology, novel combination therapies including immunotherapies and targeted therapies, rational clinical trial design and implementation of first in human clinical trials, and biomarker correlative studies that can help select patients predicted to have higher responses and lower toxicities to certain targeted therapies and immunotherapies. Above all, his passion is to help desperate patients including those with rare cancers who do not have standard of care treatment options or have become refractory to all existing treatment options with novel treatments through well designed clinical trials bringing the best science to patients. He is one of the current principal investors for the NCI MATCH trial and the SWOG DART trial.

His interest is in thoracic oncology, precision oncology, novel combination therapies including immunotherapies and targeted therapies, rational clinical trial design and implementation of first in human clinical trials, and biomarker correlative studies.

Dr. Lai pursued his MD from National Taiwan medical University & currently he is a director of Cancer centre of Wan Fang Hospital , Taipei Medical University . He also acts as a Vice President of “World Chinese Oncologist Association”. Dr. Lai found a new anti-cancer drug CDA-2 which has been approved as a first class new anti-cancer drug by the SFDA of mainland China in 2004 through the effort of both sides of Taiwan Strait. In the research of cancer stem cell targeting therapeutics, Dr. Lai had demonstrated the cancer stem cell eliminating effects of natural products such as THL (a Chinese herbal mixture) and Taiwanofungus camphorata (a Taiwan folk medicine), honokiol (active compound of Magnolia officinalis ) and ligustilide (active compound of Angelica sinensis). Recently, Dr. Lai has collaborated with Korea medical doctor to investigate the effects of Korea herbal medicine on cancer stem cell elimination and successfully found a potent recipe for suppressing the cancer stem cells in glioblastoma multiforme. In search of more efficacious cancer therapy, Dr. Lai had found that combining mevalonate pathway inhibitor “lovastatin” with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) agonist “troglitazone”. The U.S. patent applications for these two findings are pending and the domestic patents had been approved by Taiwan government in 2008 and 2009, respectively. In addition to the expertise in clinical trial, Dr. Lai’s research interest is to look for more efficacious cancer therapy by combining drugs or seeking active ingredients of natural products from which are regarding as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Dr. Lai evaluates those candidates by examining their molecular targeting effects in the aspects of differentiation induction, cell cycle regulation, signal transduction inhibition, reversal of drug resistance, cancer stem cell elimination and chemoprevention.

Dr. Lai’s research interest is to look for more efficacious cancer therapy by combining drugs or seeking active ingredients of natural products from which are regarding as Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Dr. Lai evaluates those candidates by examining their molecular targeting effects in the aspects of differentiation induction, cell cycle regulation, signal transduction inhibition, reversal of drug resistance, cancer stem cell elimination and chemoprevention.

Khalid Matin, M.D., F.A.C.P., has been appointed medical director of community oncology and clinical research affiliations at VCU Massey Cancer Center and an associate professor in the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, Department of Internal Medicine, at the VCU School of Medicine, effective July 15, 2013. Most recently, Matin was director of community oncology and associate professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York. He was also an attending physician at Roswell’s satellite facility in Amherst, NY. Prior to his roles at Roswell, Matin was a medical oncologist at the Cancer Center of Montgomery, Alabama, which is part of the Southeast Cancer Network; a clinical assistant professor at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute in Pennsylvania; and attending physician in hematology-oncology at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Pittsburgh. A board certified medical oncologist and clinical researcher, Matin is an expert in the study and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. He has developed several clinical trials for GI cancers, and he has served as the principal investigator and co-investigator on various colorectal and lung cancer trials.

Matin is an expert in the study and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. He has developed several clinical trials for GI cancers,and lung cancer.

Prof. Gupta was born (1939) Jaipur, India ,and was associated with many prestigious institutions in India and abroad, such as, Panjab University, Chandigarh(as a Ph D scholar), Alberta Univ. Edmonton, Canada,(Post doc) Univ. Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA,(Research Associate) All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi,(faculty) Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand,(visiting faculty), Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad (Director) Tottori University, Yonago,(visiting faculty ) Rhokyu University, Okinawa, ,(visiting faculty), National Institute of Physiological Sciences, Okazaki,(visiting scientist), Nara Medical University, Nara,(visiting faculty ), Chiba University, Chiba,(visiting faculty ) (all in Japan), Imperial Cancer Research Fund Laboratory, London, England, ,(visiting scientist) CNRS, Paris, France, ,(visiting scientist) Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Prague, Czechoslovakia,(visiting scientist) Max-Planck Institute of Experimental Endocrinology Germany, (Max Planck fellow) Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria, ,(visiting scientist) Manipal University, India (adjunct Prof), Gujarat University, India (adjunct Prof), in various capacities. He is fellow of many Indian and foreign Academies and learned Societies.

Dr Gupta has passion for writing. He has published 250 papers and 22 books and many Popular Science articles many of which were translated in Indian and foreign languages. He has written news articles for papers such as Hindu, Deccan Chronicle, and many regional newspapers in Indian languages. He had his own column in English news paper Indian Express. In addition to newspapers he has also published articles in Magazines published by Delhi Press and many other regional magazines .Dr Gupta’s books and popular science articles were translated in many Indian and Japanese languages. He has published books besides from India (Delhi, Bangalore, Jaipur, Rajkot, Pune and Bikaner), USA, Japan and Germany.