Hormonal Influences on Immunity and Cancer Across the Lifespan (F2)
October 5-8, 2026
| Beaver Run Conference Center, Breckenridge, CO, United States
Suzanne D. Conzen, Amy Moran and James DeGregori
Scholarship Deadline: Jul. 8, 2026 | Abstract Deadline: Sep. 15, 2026 | Early Registration Deadline: Aug. 6, 2026
| 1:00–6:00 PM |
Registration |
Colorado Ballroom Foyer |
| 3:00–3:10 PM |
Welcome Remarks |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
| 3:10–4:00 PM |
Keynote Address |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
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Alberto Mantovani, Fondazione Humanitas per la Ricerca
Intersection of Inflammation and Cancer |
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| 4:00–6:00 PM |
Hormones, Immunity and Cancer Risk |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
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Quinn T Ostrom, Duke University
Sex Differences in Glioma |
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Duygu Ucar, The Jackson Laboratory
Sexual-Dimorphism in Human Immune System Aging |
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Christy Hagan, University of Kansas Medical Center
Hormone–Immune Crosstalk: How Progesterone Enables Immune Escape in Breast Cancer |
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Megan Ruhland, Oregon Health & Science University
Short Talk: Androgen Receptor Restrains Dendritic Cell Function and Anti-Tumor Immunity In Melanoma |
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Rachel Huynh, Oregon Health & Science University
Short Talk: Androgen Receptor Signaling Mediates CD8 T cell Migration |
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| 6:00–8:00 PM |
Welcome Reception |
Colorado Ballroom Foyer |
| 7:00–8:00 AM |
Breakfast |
Summit Gallery |
| 8:00–11:00 AM |
Sex Differences in Cancer Immunity and Outcomes |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
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Joseph Unger, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Cancer Treatment Outcomes and Sex Differences: Evaluations Using Clinical Trial Databases |
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Amy Moran, Oregon Health & Science University
Hormone Receptor Action as Immune Modifiers Affecting IO Outcome |
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Fabio Conforti, European Institute of Oncology
Sex Differences in the Efficacy of Immunotherapy for Various Cancers, with Immunotherapy being Less Effective in Women than in Men |
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Xue-Yan He, Washington University in St. Louis
The Neural Bridge: Stress-remodeled Enteric Nervous System (ENS) in Colorectal Cancer |
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Kate Warde, University of Utah
Short Talk: Androgens Promote Anti-Tumor Immunity in Adrenal Cancer |
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Sam Cooke, SLUSOM
Short Talk: Sex Differences in CD8⁺ T Cell Activation Shape Tumor Immunoediting and May Underlie Disparate Immunotherapy Response |
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| 9:30–9:50 AM |
Coffee Break |
Colorado Ballroom Foyer |
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* Kendall W. Nettles, The Scripps Research Institute
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| 11:10–12:10 PM |
Panel Discussion 1: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
| 12:10–1:00 PM |
Poster Setup |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3 |
| 12:10–2:30 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
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| 1:00–10:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3 |
| 2:30–4:30 PM |
Symposia Spotlight 1: Neuroendocrine Immune Regulation of Cancer - the Host, the Cancer Cell and the Microenvironment |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
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Karen Luisa Fernanda Alvarez-Eraso, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Short Talk: Estrogen Suppresses Glial IFN-I Signaling Through the TRIM24-IRF7 Axis to Impair Anti-Tumor Immunity in Premenopausal Models of Breast Cancer Brain Metastases |
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Kyuson Yun, Houston Methodist- Weill Cornell Medicine
Short Talk: Sex Differences in Neuroinflammation and Immune Evasion Through YAP1-B7H3-STAT3 Signaling Axis |
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Maria J Contreras-Zárate, University of Colorado
Short Talk: Endocrine Therapy and Radiation Remodel the Immune Microenvironment to Reprogram Intrinsic Antitumor Immune Response in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Brain Metastases |
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Hilal Bashir, Weill Cornell Medicine
Short Talk: A Chronic Stress–Gut Microbiome Interplay Controls Anti-Tumor B Cell Responses |
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Aashna Saxena, University of Miami
Short Talk: Neurotransmitter Signaling of Myeloid Cells Drives Glioblastoma in a Sex-Specific Manner |
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Julisa G Gonzalez †, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Short Talk: Characterizing the Immunosuppressive Activity of GR In Clinically Relevant Models for Prostate Cancer |
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Thomas I Heist, Georgetown University
Short Talk: An Immunocompetent Model of Endocrine Therapy-Resistant ER+ Breast Cancer Reveals Preserved ER Function, Immune Remodeling, and Altered Metastatic Behavior |
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Yongqiang Feng, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Short Talk: Convergent Defects in Treg and Conventional T Cells Promote Age-Associated Immune Dysregulation |
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Colorado Ballroom Foyer |
| 5:00–7:00 PM |
Physiological and Social Stressors: Puberty, Pregnancy, & Menopause |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
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Pepper J Schedin, Oregon Health & Science University
Discovery of Mechanisms by Which Hormonal Changes of the Lifespan Affect Cancer Risk |
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Suzanne D. Conzen, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Pubertal Social Stressors and the Role of Glucocorticoid Receptor in Mammary Gland Development and Cancer Risk |
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Elizabeth A. Bonney, University of Vermont
Pregnancy’s Influence on T Cell Regulation |
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Traci Lyons, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Short Talk: Targeting SEMA7A During Windows of Susceptibility that Promote ER+ Breast Cancer Metastasis |
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Zeynep Madak-Erdogan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Short Talk: Cortisol-Glucocorticoid Receptor Signaling as a Molecular Sensor of Socio-Environmental Stress in Breast and Lung Cancer |
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Summit Gallery |
| 7:30–10:00 PM |
Poster Session 1 |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3 |
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
| 7:00–8:00 AM |
Breakfast |
Summit Gallery |
| 8:00–11:00 AM |
The Aging Host and the Role of the Microenvironment |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
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Emi K. Nishimura, University of Tokyo
Melanocyte Stem Cells (McSCs) and their Niche Coordinately Determine Individual Stem Cell Fate through Depending on Exposome |
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Marie-Ève Tremblay, University of Victoria
Roles of Microglia in Healthy Cognitive Aging |
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Curtis J. Henry, University of Colorado Cancer Center
Obesity and Anti-Tumor Immunity: Unraveling the Interconnectivity to Improve Immunotherapy Outcomes |
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Neil Carleton, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Short Talk: Systemic and Local Chronic Inflammation And Hormone Disposition Promote a Tumor-Permissive Environment for Breast Cancer In Older Women |
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Salvador Gonzalez Ochoa, Meharry Medical College
Short Talk: TUSC2 Deficiency Disrupts NK Cell Maturation and Drives Sex-Dependent Functional Decline During Aging |
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| 9:00–9:20 AM |
Coffee Break |
Colorado Ballroom Foyer |
| 11:10–12:10 PM |
Panel Discussion 2: Aging of the Tumor Microenvironment - Who are the Main Players? |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
| 12:10–1:00 PM |
Poster Setup |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3 |
| 12:10–3:00 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
|
| 1:00–10:00 PM |
Poster Viewing |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3 |
| 3:00–4:30 PM |
Career Roundtable: Successful Interdisciplinary Science and Learning to Speak another Language |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Colorado Ballroom Foyer |
| 5:00–7:00 PM |
Metabolic and Hormonal Changes as a Driver of Tumorigenesis |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
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Ana P. Gomes, Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
Understanding Cancer through the Lens of Old Age |
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Nima Sharifi, University of Miami
Steroid Metabolism in Physiology and Cancer |
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Michael Hwang, Genentech
Nuclear Hormone Receptor Signaling and Anti-Tumor Immunity |
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Ana Carrizosa Anderson, Harvard Medical School
Hormonal Control of T Cell Differentiation |
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Kirsten E Cosper, CU Anschutz
Short Talk: FADS2 Drives Lipid Remodeling and Suppresses Ferroptosis in Endocrine Therapy Resistant Breast Cancer |
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Timothy Gauntner, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Short Talk: Androgen Deprivation Reprograms Human CD8+ T Cell Fate Through an Androgen Receptor–BHLHE40 Axis |
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| 7:00–8:00 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Summit Gallery |
| 7:30–10:00 PM |
Poster Session 2 |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 1-3 |
Thursday, October 8, 2026
| 7:00–8:00 AM |
Breakfast |
Summit Gallery |
| 8:00–11:00 AM |
Immunity and Lifespan |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
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James DeGregori, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine
Age and Sex Alter the Direction of Clonal Selection in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Pools |
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Yash Chhabra, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Beyond the Surface: Decoding Age and Sex Disparity in Melanoma Progression and Therapy Response |
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Stella Victorelli, Mayo Clinic
Mitochondrial Apoptotic Stress during Cellular Senescence: Fueling Inflammation during Aging and Disease |
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Barry I Hudson †, Georgetown University
Short Talk: Aging Promotes Breast Cancer Metastasis Through RAGE-Dependent Inflammatory and Stromal Remodeling |
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Olivia Palmer †, Dartmouth College
Short Talk: Sex Hormones Shape Human Macrophage Fate, Metabolism, And Effector Function |
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Alessandra I Riggio, Huntsman Cancer Institute
Short Talk: Elucidating the Molecular Mechanisms of Estrogen Deprivation-Induced Dormancy in Patient-Derived Models of Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer |
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Kathy Cheng Wang, Georgetown University
Short Talk: Obesity associated Estrogen:NFκB cooperation drives NK and CD8+ T cell impairment in Estrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancer |
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| 9:00–9:20 AM |
Coffee Break |
Colorado Ballroom Foyer |
| 11:00–2:30 PM |
On Own for Lunch |
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| 2:30–4:30 PM |
Symposia Spotlight 2: Hormones, Immunity and Cancer –Therapy Resistance, Therapy Toxicity |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
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Dillon Boulton, University of Colorado | Anschutz Medical Campus
Short Talk: The Impact of Androgen Receptors on ER+ Breast Cancer Microenvironments |
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Milica Momcilovic, University of California, Los Angeles
Short Talk: Estrogen-GPCR Signaling Axis Drives Resistance to Targeted Therapy in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma |
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Sally W Feng †, The George Washington Univeristy
Short Talk: Early Life Ablation of Tissue Resident Macrophages Promotes Prostate Epithelial Cell Hyperplasia |
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Diana T LeVasseur, Morehouse School of Medicine
Short Talk: Evaluation of Ancestry-Associated HER2 And Androgen Receptor Expression in Prostate Cancer Patients Using Liquid Biopsy |
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Courtney Anderson, San Diego State University
Short Talk: Tissues Habituated to Hormonal Growth Stimuli Depend on MLH1 for Treatment Efficacy |
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Songhai Chen, University of Iowa
Short Talk: In Vivo CRISPR Screening Identifies NFKB1 as a Regulator of Endocrine Resistance in ER⁺ Breast Cancer |
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Lisa Chesner †, UCSF
Short Talk: Hormonal Regulation of Antigen Presentation and Immune Response Throughout Prostate Cancer Progression |
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Esther M Peluso, UCLA
Short Talk: Protection from Checkpoint Inhibitor Autoimmune Toxicities Revealed by Androgen Signaling |
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| 4:30–5:00 PM |
Coffee Available |
Colorado Ballroom Foyer |
| 5:00–7:00 PM |
The Aging Immune System and the Onset of Disease |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
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Kendall W. Nettles, The Scripps Research Institute
Using Machine Learning to Model Nuclear Receptor Biology in T Cells and Tissues |
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Ben A Youngblood, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Translating Epigenetic Mechanisms of T Cell Exhaustion into Durable Tumor Immunity |
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Alison Ringel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Age-Related Effects on Anti-Tumor Immunity |
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Elise Alspach, Saint Louis University
Sex Differences in Immunoediting |
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| 7:00–7:15 PM |
Meeting Wrap-Up: Outcomes and Future Directions |
Colorado Ballroom Peak 4-5 |
| 7:15–8:15 PM |
Social Hour with Dinner |
Summit Gallery |
