Research Conferences & Events

Every year the Stephenson Cancer Center (SCC) organizes and hosts research conferences and other events in order to foster an environment of scientific inquiry, exchange of ideas, and collaboration among SCC members and other investigators. These events include:

Annual and Ongoing

Oklahoma Gero-Oncology Symposium: Sarcopenia in Aging and Cancer Cachexia
At the Oklahoma Gero-Oncology Symposium, attendees will learn about the developments and progress happening in geriatric oncology from leading experts across the country. This symposium will feature a roundtable discussion with speakers from NCI and NIA, as well as a poster session.

Annual Cancer Research Symposium
Since 2011, SCC has hosted an Annual Cancer Research Symposium to provide a forum for cancer-focused researchers from a variety of disciplines to present and share their research.

The one-day conference covers three different program areas including cancer biology, cancer prevention and control and cancer therapeutics, with a trainee poster presentation competition for each of the program areas preceding the conference start. The symposium hosts more than 250 participants annually. The target audience is faculty, staff, graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, and research members.

International Ovarian Cancer Consortium Conference and Annual Meeting of the International Society of Precision Cancer Medicine
The International Ovarian Cancer Consortium (IOCRC) meeting in conjunction with International Society of Precision Cancer Medicine (ISPCM) is organized by SCC member and ISPCM president, Dr. Danny Dhanasekaran, in collaboration with intra and extramural colleagues, as an international forum of experts who can contribute to the state of the science in ovarian cancer and precision cancer medicine. This group of national and international experts now meets annually at SCC to present research and exchange ideas.

END2CANCER: Emerging Nanotechnology and Drug Delivery Applications for Cancer
The goal of the END2CANCER conference is to bridge laboratory research conducted in the areas of nanotechnology and drug delivery to clinical applications for the detection, diagnosis, imaging and treatment of cancer. The conference features keynote, plenary and invited lectures by eminent scientists who discuss new and emerging concepts, technologies, and challenges in translating nanomedicine from bench to bedside. The inaugural conference was held December of 2017 and was organized by Dr. Rajagopal Ramesh, Co-Leader of the SCC’s Cancer Biology Program.

Cross-Campus Translational Biomedical Research Symposium (OU-CCTBRS) | September 25, 2026
This conference will bring together leading researchers, clinicians and engineers from the University of Oklahoma’s Norman Campus, Tulsa Campus and Health Campus. This joint translational research event aims to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the discovery and translation of biomedical innovations. As part of the symposium, participating departments will present competitive research awards recognizing outstanding translational presentations and posters.
Event Details | Submission Guidelines | Registration | Program Book (Coming Soon)

NanoDDS
Dr. Alexander Kabanov and Dr. Kazunori Katoaka organized the first major nanomedicine meeting in the United States in January 2003. Since then, the Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery Symposium has been held annually at universities and medical centers across North America, becoming a major conference that connects leading researchers, clinicians, and innovators from around the globe. The 24th annual Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery Symposium will be hosted by the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. The 2026 Conference Chair, Dr. Rajagopal Ramesh, serves as Professor of Pathology at the OU College of Medicine and Co-Director of the Nanomedicine Program at the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center. The symposium will convene at Samis Education Center, located on the campus of OU Health, Oklahoma’s leading academic health system, in the state’s capital of Oklahoma City. For more information https://nanodds.org
Event Details | Abstract Submission | Registration | Organizing Committee

OK Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer Cachexia
The OK Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer Cachexia is a two-day, multidisciplinary conference hosted by OU Health in Oklahoma City on May 15–16, 2026. Bringing together scientists, clinicians, trainees, patient advocates, and survivors, the symposium features keynote, plenary, and invited talks from leading experts. Focused on advancing understanding and treatment of pancreatic cancer cachexia, the event fosters collaboration and highlights emerging research while promoting progress in this critical field.

2026 Program Book

Web of Life Conference
The two-day Web of Life Conference will be hosted for the first time by Stephenson Cancer Center in April 2024. To realize the full potential of team science, experts from disparate yet connected fields such as cancer, diabetes, aging, bioengineering and neurodegeneration will be brought together to facilitate transdisciplinary dialogues under one common theme — “Web of Life: Connecting the Dots.” This collaboration will significantly impact and improve the way we engage communities, treat patients, foster collaboration and facilitate groundbreaking discoveries