The Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk in Pittsburgh was a great success! A sunny day with thousands of attendees. Thanks to all of the organizers and sponsors. Our team – the Magee-Hillman Breast Cancer Warriors was one of the top fundraisers. We were happy to see Natera sponsoring the event; Their booth was always busy! We spent most of the time at the Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC booth which was never quiet.
The Institute for Precision Medicine hosted the NCI-BCRF-Komen workshop on “Patient-Derived Breast Cancer Organoids: Challenges & Opportunities” on May 21-22, 2025 at The Assembly in Pittsburgh, PA.
The meeting was co-organized by myself, Sandra Demaria, Ariella Hanker, and Senthil Muthuswamy.
We brought together 45 investigators to discuss the state-of-the-art in PDO research and gaps that present barriers to progress.
The lively event raised several excellent points about how PDOs are credentialed and used in research. In particular, their use in predicting patient response to therapy (e.g., co-clinical trials) was a hotly discussed topic.
The National Institutes of Health recently promoted organoid models to reduce the reliance on animal models, and we hope that these novel alternative metholodologies will provide new avenues for precision medicine.
We thank The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Susan G. Komen for sponsoring the workshop and advocates Bob Riter and Jamie LaScala who participated in a panel discussion on obtaining tissue for research.
Outcomes and deliverables of the workshop will be a white paper on best practices in breast cancer PDO research and hopefully a new network that can share PDO and data and accelerate this research.
If you are interested in participating in the Breast Organoid Working Group (BOWG) contact Dr. Adrian Lee.
At the PMWC conference, Adrian Lee, PhD, Director of the Institute for Precision Medicine (IPM), chaired the Clinical Utility of Liquid Biopsies track, leading a critical discussion on “Improving Sensitivity of MRD and MCED – Tumor-agnostic vs. Tumor-informed ctDNA Approaches.” Joining him on the panel was Marija Balic, MD, ScD, MBA, (UPMC Hillman Cancer Center) co-director of the Magee Women’s Cancer Program and clinical co-leader of the Women’s Cancer Research Center (WCRC). A leader in breast clinical science, she oversees Pitt and UPMC’s breast cancer program.
George Tseng received an R01CA285337 with MPI of Adrian and Steffi entitled “Single-cell congruence evaluation and selection of cancer models towards precision medicine”. This work will further the collaborative partnership where we are developing tools to enable precision medicine.
The Lee-Oesterreich Lab held its annual retreat on December 6, 2024, at Zone 28, Freeport Road, Pittsburgh. This retreat was a valuable opportunity for lab members to reflect on past achievements, discuss ongoing projects, and engage in team-building activities in an informal setting.
The day began with coffee and opening remarks from Drs. Steffi Oesterreich and Adrian Lee, setting the tone for a productive and engaging retreat. To kick things off, an icebreaker activity titled “The Name Story” encouraged participants to share the origin and meaning of their names, fostering personal connections within the team.
The morning session featured a comprehensive lab overview, covering key topics such as lab values and expectations outlined in the Lab Handbook, recent publications, ongoing grants and funding prospects, and both internal and external collaborations. These discussions provided lab members with insights into the strategic direction and broader impact of their research.
The retreat welcomed Dr. Ryan Hartmeier, a former graduate student and postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory now Senior Director, Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D at AstraZeneca. Ryan shared insights into his research and career in the pharmaceutical industry, providing valuable networking opportunities for students and lab members interested in industry careers.
A highlight of the retreat was the keynote lecture delivered by Dr. Julia Foldi. She presented a complex brain metastasis case which was a part of the Hope for OTHERS rapid autopsy program, offering a clinician’s perspective on patient treatment options and decision-making processes. Her talk was particularly insightful for lab members, providing them with a better understanding of how their research translates into clinical applications and patient care.
During lunch, the team engaged in discussions on the present and future of organoids as model systems. Daniel Brown provided an update on current progress, followed by a group discussion on challenges, management strategies, and future directions for using organoids in research. The afternoon session included a brainstorming exercise focused on identifying barriers to project efficiency and proposing solutions.
To conclude the day, the team participated in a fun and energetic laser tag session. This team-building exercise allowed everyone to unwind and engage in a friendly competition, reinforcing collaboration and team spirit.
The 2024 Lee-Oesterreich Lab Retreat was a success, offering valuable scientific discussions, professional insights, and team-building experiences that will contribute to the lab’s continued growth and success.
Happy to see Dr Ryan Hartmaier, Senior Director, AstraZeneca, Translational Medicine, Oncology R&D, who was hosted by Adballa Wedn as part of PCB seminar series organized by Pharmacology students.
