Accelerating Liquid Biopsy Readiness:
Integrated Workshop on Challenges & Real-World Solutions
One-Day Hackathon
Date: May 29th, 2026 - 8:30am - 4:00pm CT
Location: Loyola University Schreiber Center, 16 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
Co-Organized By
Endorsed By
Despite the potential of Liquid Biopsy, significant financial, educational, and technical barriers limit its adoption in the US breast cancer care continuum.
This one-day hackathon brings together a multidisciplinary network to co-develop practical, scalable tools that address these real-world hurdles.
What to expect
Purpose
To co-develop practical, scalable training tools that address real-world barriers limiting the effective use and adoption of liquid biopsy (LBx) in breast cancer, with direct integration into future ICPC–PMAC educational and policy work.
Target Audience
The hackathon attracts high-level stakeholders, including:
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Clinical Leaders: Oncologists, Pathologists.
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Health Systems: Regulatory Experts, Hospital Administrators.
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Tech & Science: Bioinformaticians and Diagnostic Scientific Teams.
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Advocacy: Patient Advocates, Policy-Makers.
Challenge Areas
Participants will work on three core "Challenge Areas" to build tangible prototypes. Prototype examples by Challenge Area:
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Diagnostics & Therapy: Creating "Payer Readiness Kits" and NGS report simplifiers for Molecular Tumor Boards.
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Clinical Trials: Designing "MRD Strategy Maps" to guide the use of LBx in Minimal Residual Disease trials.
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AI Integration: Establishing frameworks for the use of Synthetic Control Arms in clinical research.
Featured Experts Include
Sana Al-Sukhun, MD, MSc, FASCO
DIrector, Al Hyatt Oncology Practice, Jordan
Chair, Metastatic Breast Cancer Resource-Stratified Guideline Committee of ASCO
Past Chair, International Affairs Committee of ASCO
Past President, Jordanian Oncology Society
Marija Balic, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine,
Co-director, Magee Women’s Cancer Program
Scientific Director, NSABP Foundation Translational Research Program
University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, FASCO
Program Director, Breast Medical Oncology,
Assistant Chief (Translational Research), Division of Hematology-Oncology,
Professor of Medicine, Geffen School of Medicine,
University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
Massimo Cristofanilli, MD, FACP
Professor of Medicine,
Associate Director of Precision Medicine, Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine
Scientific Director, the Englander Institute of Precision Medicine
Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
Giuseppe Curigliano, MD, PhD
Professor of Medical Oncology, University of Milan, IT
Clinical Director, Division of Early Drug Development,
European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, IT
President-Elect, European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)
Andrew Davis, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine,
Division of Medical Oncology,
WashU Medicine, St. Loius, MO, USA
Lorenzo Foffano, MD
Visiting Fellow in Medicine,
Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
Nicola Fusco, MD
Associate Professor of Pathology, University of Milan, IT
Director of the Division of Pathology and Somatic Molecular Diagnostics,
European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, IT
Chair of the Quality Control and Accreditation Committee,
International Society of Liquid Biopsy (ISLB)
Lorenzo Gerratana, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Medical Oncology
Scientific Lead, Breast Medical Oncology,
Department of Medicine (DMED) - University of Udine
Department of Medical Oncology - IRCCS CRO Aviano National Cancer Institute, IT
William Gradishar, MD, FACP, FASCO
Betsy Bramsen Professor of Breast Oncology & Professor of Medicine,
Director, Maggie Daley Center for Women’s Cancer Care,
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center,
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, IL, USA
Denis Horgan
Chair, ICGC ARGO Independent Advisory Committee at International Cancer Genome Consortium
Executive Director, European Alliance for Personalised Medicine
Ola Khorshid, MD
Professor of Medicine,
Chair, Department of Medical Oncology and Malignant Hematology,
NCI Cairo University, EG
President, OncoThoracic International Association OnTiC
Nerea Lopetegui, MD
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine,
The Ohio State University College of Medicine, OH, USA
Antonio Marra, MD
Early Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, IT
Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milano, IT
Eleonora Nicolo`, MD
Instructor of Cancer Research in Medicine,
Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
Jean-Yves Pierga, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine,
Institut Curie, Paris, FR
Letizia Pontolillo, MD
Visiting Fellow in Medicine,
Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
Carolina Reduzzi, PhD
Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology Research in Medicine
Director, Cristofanilli CTC lab
Director, Liquid Biopsy Platform, Englander Institute for Precision Medicine,
Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
Hope Rugo, MD
Director, Women’s Cancer Program,
Division Chief, Breast Medical Oncology,
City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
Lisette Stork-Sloots, MSc
President and co-founder,
Medex15,
Antwerp, Belgium
Femke de Snoo, MD, PhD
President and co-founder,
Medex15,
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Marko Velimirovic, MD, MMSc
Assistant Professor,
Clinical Research Division,
Fred Hutch Cancer Center, WA, USA
Neelima Vidula, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Associate Physician and Breast Medical Oncologist, Massachusetts General Hospital, MA, USA
Join Us
Contact us to know more about the Hackathon and sponsorship opportunities