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2025 Gynecological Cancers SPORE Investigators Meeting

Gynecological Cancers Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) members will meet on October 16 - 17, 2025 for the 2025 Gynecological Cancers SPORE Investigators Meeting. This event is co-sponsored by the Translational Research Program of the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center.

This two-day, hybrid meeting will meet the following objectives:

  • Identify challenges and knowledge gaps in gynecologic cancer translational research
  • Highlight advances in the field
  • Define resources and technologies
  • Foster collaborations among the Gynecologic Cancer SPORE sites, patient advocates, and NCI staff

Registrants may attend in-person or virtually; however, in-person registration is limited. The in-person meeting will be at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, 800 NE 10th St, 5th Floor Conference Room, Oklahoma City, OK 73104. The virtual option will be held via Zoom, and a meeting link will be sent to those who register to attend virtually.

Early-Stage Investigators who submit abstracts will automatically be considered for oral presentations.

Deadline for Submitting an Abstract

Submit an abstract by Sept. 19, 2025

Submit an Abstract

Register Today for the 2025 Gynecological SPORE Investigators Meeting
Day 1: 8:15 a.m. – 5 p.m. CST, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025
Day 2: 9 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. CST, Friday, Oct. 17, 2025

OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, 800 NE 10th St, Room 5058
Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Register Today


Registration Deadline

Online registration for the investigators' meeting closes on Sept. 30 at 11:59 p.m.

Speakers

Keynote: "Comprehensive Functional Analysis of Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Genes at Nucleotide Level"
by Fergus Couch, PhD, Mayo Clinic

2025 Program Booklet

Meeting Agenda

Day 1: Thursday, October 16, 2025

8:15 – 8:20 a.m.

Logistics  

Doris Benbrook, Ph.D.

8:20 – 8:35 a.m.                 

Welcome

Toby T. Hecht, Ph.D.

8:35 – 8:45 a.m.

Report on SPORE portfolio

Naveena Basa Janakiram, Ph.D.

Session 1: Overview of Gynecologic Cancer SPOREs

Chair – Naveena Basa Janakiram, Ph.D.

8:45 – 8:55 a.m.

Kimberly Leslie, M.D.  

University of New Mexico

8:55 – 9:05 a.m.                  

Tzyy-Choou Wu, M.D.,  Ph.D., M.P.H.

Johns Hopkins University

9:05 – 9:15 a.m.

Scott H. Kaufmann, M.D., Ph.D.

Mayo Clinic

9:15 – 9:25 a.m.

Anil Sood, M.D.

MD Anderson Cancer Center

9:25 – 9:35 a.m.

Kirsten Moysich, Ph.D.

Roswell/University of Chicago

9:35 – 9:45 a.m.

Ronald J. Buckanovich, M.D., Ph.D.

University of Pittsburgh

9:45 – 9:55 a.m.

Ie-Ming Shih, M.D., Ph.D.

Johns Hopkins University/UPenn

9:55 – 10:05 a.m.     Break

Special Talk

Introduction by Scott H. Kaufmann, M.D., Ph.D.

10:05 – 10:50 a.m.

Fergus Couch Ph.D.

Mayo Clinic
“Comprehensive functional analysis of ovarian cancer susceptibility genes at the nucleotide level”

Session 2: Artificial Intelligence and New Technology

Moderators – Anil Sood, M.D., Ph.D. and Ronald J. Buckanovich, M.D., Ph.D.

10:50 – 11:10 a.m.    Han Liang, Ph.D.

    MD Anderson Cancer Center
“Computational algorithms, bioinformatics tools”

11:10 – 11:30 a.m.

   Rikki Cannioto, Ph.D., Ed.D., M.S.

     Roswell Park/UIC
“Leveraging standard-of-care CT scans and immune biomarkers to identify body composition phenotypes predictive of epithelial ovarian cancer survival”

11:30 – 11:50 a.m.

   Mara Steinkamp, Ph.D.

   University of New Mexico (Route 66)
“Humanized mouse models”

11:50 – 12:10 p.m.

  Nagarajan Kannan, Ph.D., M.S.

   Mayo Clinic
“Lessons from studies of normal Fallopian tube organoid biology and applications of cellular barcoding technology”

12:10 – 12:30 p.m.

  Ie-Ming Shih, M.D., Ph.D.

       Johns Hopkins University
“The Fallopian Tube Precancer Atlas”

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.   Lunch and Poster Session

Working Group 1

Moderators – Kirsten Moysich, Ph.D. and Ronald J. Buckanovich, M.D., Ph.D.

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

   Sharing Novel technologies

Session 3: Tumor Biology, Early Detection, and Prevention

Moderators – Jamie Bakkum-Gamez, M.D. and Doris Benbrook, Ph.D.

2:30 – 2:50 p.m.

   Kimberly Levinson, M.D., M.P.H.

   Johns Hopkins University
“Therapeutic HPV vaccination in patients with HPV16-positive low-grade cervical dysplasia”

2:50 – 3:10 p.m.

Doris M. Benbrook, Ph.D.

University of Oklahoma HSC
“Targeting endometrial cancer vulnerabilities”

3:10 – 3:30 p.m.

   Siddhartha Yadav, M.B.B.S., M.D.

   Mayo Clinic
“Genomics of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in the South Asian population”

3:30 – 3:50 p.m.

   Nadine Hempel, Ph.D.

   University of Pittsburgh
“Cancer metastasis”

3:50 – 4:00 pm    Break

Session 4: Early-Stage Investigators

Moderators – Nadine Hempel, Ph.D. and Kimberly Levinson, M.D., M.P.H.

4:00 – 4:10 p.m.

     Early-Stage Investigator

4:10 – 4:20 p.m.

     Early-Stage Investigator

4:20 – 4:30 p.m.

     Early-Stage Investigator

4:30 – 4:40 p.m.

     Early-Stage Investigator

4:40 – 4:50 p.m.

     Early-Stage Investigator

4:50 – 5:00 p.m.

     Early-Stage Investigator


6:50 – 8:30 p.m.      Evening Reception

Stephenson Cancer Center – First Floor

Day 2: Friday, October 17, 2025

Session 5: Combination Therapies and Immunotherapy

Moderators – Kimberly Leslie, M.D. and Scott H. Kaufmann, M.D., Ph.D.

9:00 – 9:20 a.m.

     Matthew Powell, M.D.

     Washington University (Route 66)
“NRG Combination Immunotherapy Trials”

9:20 – 9:40 a.m.

Arun Kanakkanthara, Ph.D.

Mayo Clinic
“PARPi/ALKi combinations for ovarian cancer”

9:40 – 10:10 a.m.

     Rugang Zhang, Ph.D.

     MD Anderson Cancer Center
“(TBD)”

10:10 – 10:30 a.m.

     Marion Curtis, Ph.D.

     Mayo Clinic
“Cryptic antigens (PMID: 39970218, Science Advances 2025)”

10:30 – 10:50 a.m.     Flexible time / Early-Stage Investigator                       Talks

10:50 – 11:00 a.m.     Break

Working Group 2

Moderators – Andrea Hagemann, M.D., Danuta Kozbor, Ph.D.

11:00 – 12:00 p.m.

Optimizing time to activation of clinical trials

12:00 – 12:10 p.m.     

Meeting Summary & Future Directions

                       Anil Sood, M.D. and Doris M. Benbrook, Ph.D.

12:10 – 12:15 p.m.     

Concluding Remarks & Adjournment

                       Naveena Basa Janakiram, Ph.D.

*Meeting agenda is subject to change.

Click here to download formatted slide template for resources that can be shared.

The research and information contained in these slides and oral presentations are unpublished and are shared solely for the purposes of discussion at the SPORE Investigators Meeting. This content is considered confidential and should not be shared, published, posted, recorded, or otherwise discussed outside of this meeting.

Hotel Information

A block of rooms has been reserved for event attendees at the Embassy Suites OKC Downtown, 741 N Phillips Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73104. The following room block rate is available for check-in on Wednesday, Oct. 15, and check-out on Friday, Oct. 17.

  • Room Rates
    • 2 Room Suite - 1 King Bed - $199/night
    • 1 Room Suite - 1 King Bed - $199/night
    • 1 Room Premium Studio Suite - 1 King Bed - $199/night
  • Parking
    • Overnight Self-Parking - $20
  • Deadline to reserve a room is Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
  • Payment Options
    • Master Method: PO on file for GTD
      • Group Master: CES90S
    • Rooms Method: Individual to Pay Own
      • Rate Code: C-90S
  • Click here to book your stay now or call 1-800-445-8667 to make a reservation over the phone.
  • If you are interested in learning more about Oklahoma City and the surrounding area, visit travelok.com.

Intended Audience

  • Gynecologic Cancer SPORE Investigators

Meeting Objectives

  1. Identify challenges and knowledge gaps in Gyn translational research
  2. Highlight advances in the field
  3. Define resources and technologies
  4. Foster collaborations among the Gyn Cancer SPORE sites, patient advocates and NCI staff

For general information on the Gynecological SPORE Investigators Meeting, contact Jill Rosewood-Evans:
Gillian-RosewoodEvans@ouhsc.edu | (405) 271-8001 Ext. 32151

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