34th Annual Course Photo – Sept. 2019
40th Annual Offering of Critical Issues in Tumor Microenvironment: Angiogenesis, Metastasis and Immunology
November 10-14, 2025
In Person Meeting
Lecture recordings will be available for 30 days after course ends.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The “40th Annual Critical Issues in Tumor Microenvironment: Angiogenesis, Metastasis and Immunology” course, directed by Professor Rakesh K. Jain, will continue to offer the best in critical analysis of what is currently known about the tumor microenvironment, including lectures covering: angiogenesis, metastasis, immunology, metabolism, microbiome, chronobiology, carcinoma-associated fibroblasts, cancer-neuroscience, adoptive cell therapies including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells, and integrating physical sciences and AI in oncology. The faculty is internationally recognized. They will present the latest findings from their laboratories and clinics. The goal of this course is to highlight key gaps in present knowledge of cancer and outline future directions for research at the bench and in the clinic.
The course will return to a four-day in-person format. Learning formats will include didactic lectures, trainee-led Q&A and group discussions. The faculty will encourage an open discussion and will provide critical comments on challenges and future opportunities in research in cancer and in the establishment of novel therapeutic approaches and biomarkers to guide treatment. The aim of this course is to analyze and synthesize the most up-to-date findings. Our faculty will present valuable information in a systematic and comprehensive framework, along with a critical review of various measurement techniques. This course is dedicated to helping to improve clinical translation of this knowledge and competence, leading to improved cancer treatment.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary, we have added a 5th Trainee-focused day to our course where the course participants will have the opportunity to present a scientific poster during a poster symposium, along with attend a roundtable discussion session on career guidance for biomedical scientists and engineers.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of our Critical Issues in Tumor Microenvironment course, participants will be able to:
- Identify pharmacological approaches to normalize the tumor microenvironment, including tumor-associated blood vessels, fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix
- Evaluate molecularly targeted agents approved or currently in clinical development in combination with immunotherapies for cancer treatment and incorporate them into practice.
- Assess relevant, state-of-the-art, or translational pre-clinical models of anti-cancer therapies for adult and pediatric malignancies.
- Recognize the steps and determinants of the metastatic process of cancer.
- Identify emerging determinants of immunotherapy outcomes, including blood vessels, fibroblasts, extracellular matrix, neuronal-tumor interactions, circadian cycle, microbiome, and discuss potential approaches to harness them.
- Compare correlative studies of biomarkers and their response and resistance to immunotherapies in cancer patients.
- Evaluate state-of-the-art genetic and imaging techniques and their applications in pre-clinical and clinical studies.
- Understand the applications of AI in cancer care and research
Who Should Attend This Course?
The course is directed at physicians and researchers.
ABMS/ACGME COMPETENCIES
The course is designed to meet the following American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) / Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Educational (ACCME) competencies: Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, Medical Knowledge.
IOM COMPETENCIES
The course is designed to meet the following Institute of Medicine (IOM) Competencies: Work in Interdisciplinary Teams, Employ Evidence-Based Practice, Apply Quality Improvement
COURSE DIRECTOR
Rakesh K. Jain, Ph.D., Andrew Werk Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology (Tumor Biology), Harvard Medical School; Director, E.L. Steele Laboratories of Tumor Biology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA