Session Abstract – PMWC 2019 Silicon Valley
Session Synopsis: Over the last few years, there has been extraordinary progress in Next-Generation Sequencing and with that we see genetic testing are now increasingly being used for the screening and diagnosis of both cancer and non-cancer conditions. This session will dive into specifics around cancer testing, where it is headed, applications, concerns, and opportunities.
Session Chair Profile
M.S., Oncology Market Development/Clinical Workflow Sales Team Diagnostics and Genomics Group, Agilent Technologies
Biography
Rebecca Brandes background includes developing and submitting products for regulation, developing integrated workflows for routine testing and business development for companion diagnostics with an emphasis on Oncology. Currently she is a member of the Clinical Workflow Sales Team at Agilent. As a newly formed team, the market development managers are charged with the objective to help with the education and consultation on advanced genomic technologies in routine pathology. This includes expertise in genomic technologies, clinical laboratory workflows, current testing methodologies and paradigms and genetics. Rebecca joined Agilent in July of 2014 bringing more than 18 years of expertise gained from leading companies in life sciences, diagnostics and routine clinical testing as Director of Molecular Pathology and Cancer Genetics. She received Bachelor’s Degrees from High Point University in Biology, Biochemistry and Anthropology and a Master’s Degree in Molecular Genetics from Wake Forest University. Prior to joining QIAGEN, Asuragen, Affymetrix and Agilent to lead their marketing programs, Rebecca spent several years running a high-throughput, CLIA-CAP clinical molecular oncology laboratory for bone marrow tissue typing for transplant and registry build.
Speaker Profile
Ph.D., CTO, Burning Rock Dx
Biography
Dr. Zhang obtained PhD degree from Duke University in 2005. After completing his postdoctoral studies at the University of Washington and Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 2008, he then joined Illumina R&D as a assay development scientist in San Diego, and participating in multiple microarray and sequencing consumables development activities. As a team leader, he developed and launched dual-indexed Illumina library prep and sequencing products. He also led or contributed to the launch of multiple other TruSeq and Infinium products. In 2016, he joined BurningRock Dx, a leading Chinese start-up company focused on cancer diagnostics. As chief technology officer, he has led the company R&D team to implement next-generation sequencing technology in translational medicine and to further develop in vitro diagnostic products.
Speaker Profile
Ph.D., M.Sc., Sr. Director, Translational Oncology Lead, Global Product Development – Oncology, Pfizer
Biography
Jean-Francois Martini is currently Sr. Director, Translational Oncology Lead, Global Product Development-Oncology, Pfizer, La Jolla, California. He leads and/or oversees the translational strategy for palbociclib (breast cancer and other tumors); sunitinib and axitinib (RCC); crizotinib, and lorlatinib (lung cancer). He also leads the cross functional efforts in the area of liquid biopsy/cfDNA analysis (represents Pfizer as part of Blood Profiling Atlas-Cancer) and is the Pfizer board of director for the WIN consortium. He has over 18 years of biotech and pharma industry experience in pharmacology and clinical translational sciences, and is author/coauthor of over 30 scientific publications. He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from University of Paris XI, France. He was previously Sr. Director, Translational Medicine, at Exelixis, California, where is contributed to the approval of cobimetinib and cabozantinib.
