NETRF’s 2024 Margie & Robert E. Petersen Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Symposium was held October 28-30 at The Hotel Commonwealth in Boston, Massachusetts. Our Symposium brought 120 researchers from throughout the United States and eleven countries to discuss the latest advancements in neuroendocrine cancer research. The annual event plays a pivotal role in advancing scientific knowledge, while promoting innovation and collaboration.
“More so now than at any other previous meeting, we have reached a tipping point. We have reached the moment where work and support are producing important advances at an accelerating pace on multiple fronts,” commented James Bibb, a member of NETRF’s Board of Scientific Advisors (BOSA). “What we all are witnessing in real time is the birth of completely new languages where groups of extremely talented researchers are interacting and sharing data, combining expertise and diverse perspectives, using each other’s information, models, samples, and tools to conduct new and creative studies.” Dr. Bibb described this tipping point as the shift from hope to promise.
“The output of this activity and the product of our donors’ gracious support is nothing short of a completely new vision just coming into focus. For the first time we are beginning to peer over the horizon. We are seeing, as never before, that it is possible to reach our goals.” James Bibb, PhD, BOSA member
Dr. Ramesh Shivdasani gave the keynote address and was presented with a NETRF Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Shivdasani Served as Chair of the Board of Scientific Advisors from 2007 to 2016. He was recently named as an Emeritus member of the BOSA. Dr. Shivdasani is known for his research into the development of intestinal neuroendocrine tumors. His keynote focused on what we know about how cells normally differentiate in the lining of the GI track and the changes that lead to neuroendocrine tumors.
The Symposium featured two days of presentations and a poster session, all designed to foster collaboration between scientists. Many NETRF grantees shared their progress to better understand how genes are mutated or expressed, find new targets for treatment and develop novel approaches to immunotherapy. Elaine Nord and NETRF Board of Directors member Carrie Camino spoke about their experiences, providing an important patient perspective.
“NETRF is proud of the strength of our scientific network which has resulted in 88 new collaborations, 22 clinical trials and projects, and 8 patents for new technology,” says Elyse Gellerman, Chief Executive Officer for NETRF. “NETRF events like this enrich the scientific community… and even more importantly they result in trials, treatments and potential cures for neuroendocrine cancer.”
NETRF thanks all the researchers for their participation in the Symposium and their dedication to the field. Thank you to all the donors who attended and support our work. We also recognize our staff and Board of Directors, for their tremendous work to make the Symposium a successful and enjoyable meeting.
To see photos from the 2024 Symposium, click here. Scientific sessions will be posted soon.