NETRF 2026 Research Symposium
Keynote Address
Through the Looking Glass: Twenty Years of Progress in Neuroendocrine Cancer and the Next Era of Discovery
Chrissie Thirlwell, MBBS, PhD, FRCP, SFHEA, is an internationally recognized leader in neuroendocrine tumor research spanning basic science, translational research and clinical trials. Clinically she works as a Medical Oncologist and is a Professor of Cancer Genomics and Head of the University of Bristol Medical School.
Her research program has secured over $48 million in funding and her work has been published in Nature Genetics, Nature Medicine, Nature Methods, JAMA Oncology and Cancer Discovery and Lancet Oncology. Her neuroendocrine tumor research has identified distinct molecular subgroups and epigenetic biomarkers that are reshaping classification and leading towards personalized treatment, this is supported by collaborations across the Broad Institute and Harvard, UCSF, Bern,Verona, Madrid, Uppsala, UCL and Cambridge Universities.
In her keynote presentation Chrissie will share some key advances in neuroendocrine cancer research over her career to date, reflect on this incredible community of researchers, patients and supporters that she has had the privilege of working with and will then look to the future, where she hopes we can offer the most effective personalized therapies and ultimately prevent this cancer from developing.
Challenge Address
Lynnette Fernandez-Cuesta, PhD has more than 15 years of experience in the field of thoracic cancer functional genomics. She currently leads the Computational Cancer Genomics Team at IARC–WHO. As a Principal Investigator, she has made major advances in the study of thoracic tumors through the lungNENomics and MESOMICS projects. Among them is the discovery of supra-carcinoids, a finding that has significantly advanced the understanding of thoracic neuroendocrine tumors.
Lynnette will discuss the major challenges and emerging opportunities for implementing the morpho-molecular classification proposed in her recent publication in Molecular Cancer into routine clinical practice. Her presentation will highlight the practical considerations for integrating this classification into diagnostic workflows, its potential impact on patient stratification and personalized treatment, and the steps needed to facilitate its adoption in clinical settings.
Symposium Agenda
Presenting Sponsor: Exelixis
All times listed are in Eastern Time
Monday, November 16:
5:00-6:00 PM – Registration
Location: Fenway Foyer, Hotel Commonwealth
6:00-8:00 PM – Welcome Reception & Poster Session
Location: Esplanade Room, Hotel Commonwealth
Sponsored by Compass Therapeutics
Tuesday, November 17:
Location: Hotel Commonwealth
8:00-9:00 AM – Breakfast & Registration
Location: Fenway Foyer
8:00-8:50 AM – Early Career Breakfast (registration required)
Location: Kenmore Room
9:00-9:05 AM – Welcome
Elyse Gellerman, MHS, CEO
9:05-9:15 AM – Welcome, Meeting Logistics, and Poster Awardee Announcement
Anna Greene, PhD, CSO; Mandy Westland, PhD, Research Program Coordinator
9:15-9:50 AM – Keynote Address: Through the Looking Glass: Twenty Years of Progress in Neuroendocrine Cancer and the Next Era of Discovery
Chrissie Thirlwell, MBBS, PhD
9:50-10:05 AM – Patient Voice: Certain Uncertainties: Living with Cancer at 24
Jackie Dong
SESSION 1: Origins, Cell States & Tumor Evolution
Fenway Ballroom | Session Chairs: Justin Annes, MD, PhD and Iacovos Michael, PhD
Presentations
10:05-10:20 AM – Diverse Cellular Origins and Lineage States in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms
Kirsten Kübler, MD, PhD
10:20-10:35 AM – Human pulmonary neuroendocrine (NE) cell diversity and the diversity of pulmonary carcinoids in the bronchial airways.
Christin Kuo, MD
10:35-10:50 AM – Fate regulation of human intestinal enteroendocrine and tuft cells.
Elsa Hadj Bachir, PhD
10:50-11:00 AM – Discussion (10 min)
11:00-11:20 AM – Coffee & Networking Break
11:20-11:30 AM – Spatial multimodal profiling unravels lineage plasticity in non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
Ruben Dries, PhD
11:30-11:40 AM – Genomic Characterization of Lesion Progression in Diffuse Idiopathic Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Cell Hyperplasia (DIPNECH)
Fabien Lamaze, PhD
11:40-11:50 AM – Establishing Drosophila and mammalian models to assess the effects of endocrine tumour-associated MEN1 variants on Menin-HDAC1 complex formation
Taisiia Sazonova, MD, MSc
11:50-12:00 PM – The genetic evolution of low to high-grade progression in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
Nancy Joseph, MD, PhD
12:00-12:10 PM – Discussion (10 min)
12:10-12:20 PM – Group Photo – All attendees and participants
12:20-1:30 PM – Lunch
12:20-1:30 PM – Early Career Informal Lunch
SESSION 2: Neuroendocrine Carcinomas: Biology, Models & Therapeutic Vulnerabilities
Fenway Ballroom | Session Chairs: Carl Gay, MD, PhD
Carl Gay, MD, PhD
Talya Dayton, PhD
Presentations
1:30-1:45 PM – Featured Overview: Neuroendocrine Carcinoma — State of the Field
Trudy Oliver, PhD
1:45-2:00 PM – YAP activation disrupts MCPyV-driven tumor maintenance and reveals mTORC1 survival dependency in Merkel cell carcinoma
Chiara Mazziotta, PhD
2:00-2:10 PM – Targeting heterogeneous populations in high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas
C. Allison Stewart, PhD
2:10-2:20 PM – Extrapulmonary Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Breast: Divergent Survival Outcomes and Genomic Heterogeneity Across Receptor Subtypes
Elyse Lopez, MD
2:20-2:35 PM – Discussion (15 min)
2:35-3:00 PM – Coffee & Networking Break
SESSION 3: Tumor Ecosystems, Signaling & Resistance
Fenway Ballroom | Session Chairs: Mauro Cives, MD and Dawn Quelle, PhD
Mauro Cives, MD
Dawn Quelle, PhD
Presentations
3:00-3:15 PM – VEGF-C/VEGFR3 Signaling Programs an Endothelial Niche to Sustain PanNET Liver Metastasis and Antiangiogenic Resistance
Minah Kim, PhD
3:15-3:30 PM – Integrated spatial and transcriptomic profiling identifies remodeled stromal ecosystems in ALT-positive pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
Christopher Heaphy, PhD
3:30-3:45 PM – Changes in the Tumor Microenvironment of Well-Differentiated Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumors might mediate resistance in patients treated with 177Lu-DOTATATE
Rahil Abbu, MSc
3:45-3:55 PM – Discussion (10 min)
3:55-4:05 PM – Adenosine Pathway Activation and Immune Crosstalk in Pseudohypoxic VHL-Related Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
Amit Tirosh, MD
4:05-4:15 PM – Loss of nuclear Menin alters lipid homeostasis in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor cells
Suzann Duan, PhD
4:15-4:25 PM – High Mobility Group Box 3 (HMGB3) drives tumorigenesis in aggressive neuroendocrine neoplasms by facilitating DNA damage repair and resistance to genotoxic stress
Nilakshi Kulathunga, PhD
4:25-4:35 PM – Discussion (10 min)
4:35-4:45 PM – Travel Award Presentations
Susie Harrington, CDO
Travel Award support: Camurus · Compass Therapeutics · ITM · Neuroendocrine Cancer New Zealand · Pheo Para Alliance · RayzeBio (BMS) · Rezolute · Jim Rodin
4:45-6:00 PM – Extended Poster Viewing & Happy Hour
Location: Esplanade Room
Research connections and informal conversation
Wednesday, November 18:
Location: Hotel Commonwealth
8:00-9:00 AM – Breakfast & Registration
9:00-9:05 AM – Welcome
Anna Greene, PhD
9:05-9:20 AM – Patient Voice: The Light We Share – A Journey of Hope, Gratitude and Community
Lori Dolnick
9:20-9:45 AM – Challenge Address: Moving Morpho-Molecular Classification into Clinical Practice
Lynnette Fernandez-Cuesta, PhD
9:45-10:00 AM – Discussion
10:00-10:45 AM – Panel Discussion: From Discovery to Impact: What Will It Take to Move NEN Research Forward?
10:45-11:05 AM – Coffee & Networking Break
SESSION 4: Biomarkers, Imaging & Theranostics
Fenway Ballroom | Session Chairs: Jennifer Eads, MD and Erik Mittra, MD, PhD
Jennifer Eads, MD
Erik Mittra, MD, PhD
Presentations
11:05-11:15 AM – Plasma Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a Prognostic and Monitoring Biomarker in Metastatic Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: Updated Results from an International Liquid Biopsy Study.
Carlota Arenillas, PhD
11:15-11:25 AM – Novel Method to Image Both Somatostatin Receptor Expression and Metabolism of NETs in a Single Positron Emission Tomography Scan
Craig S. Levin, Ph.D.
11:25-11:35 AM – SSTR2-targeted peptide-PARPi conjugates for the improved treatment of neuroendocrine cancers
Lena Koller, M. Sc.
11:35-11:45 AM – Discussion (10 min)
11:45-12:30 PM – Break & Lunch
11:45-12:30 PM – Early Career Informal Lunch
SESSION 5: Targetable Vulnerabilities & Precision Therapeutics
Fenway Ballroom | Session Chairs: Daniel Halperin, MD and Chrissie Thirlwell, MD, PhD
Dan Halperin, MD
Chrissie Thirlwell, MD, PhD
Presentations
12:30-12:45 PM – SDHB deficiency silences ABCB1 and confers therapeutic vulnerability across multiple cancer types
Qianjin Guo, PhD
12:45-1:00 PM – Patient-derived organoids reveal hypoxia-driven plasticity and therapeutic vulnerabilities in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas
Cynthia Estrada Zuniga, MD, MPH, PhD
1:00-1:10 PM – Epigenetic MTAP Loss Expands the Therapeutic Window of PRMT5 Inhibition in Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
Danping Niu, PhD
1:10-1:20 PM – PRMT5 and MTAP in Neuroendocrine Tumors: Exploring New Therapeutic Opportunities and Predictive Biomarkers from Bench to Bedside.
Thomas Walter, MD, PhD
1:20-1:30 PM – Discussion (10 min)
1:30-1:40 PM – Symposium Reflections: Knowledge Gained, Horizons Ahead
Iacovos Michael, PhD
1:40-1:45 PM – Closing Message
Anna Greene, PhD