Session Abstract
Session Synopsis: NGS-based liquid biopsy assays have great promise for multiple clinical applications, but challenges associated with detection sensitivity, bioinformatic analysis and validation must be overcome in order to drive routine clinical adoption. Join leaders in the field as we discuss the progress, potential and remaining obstacles of using NGS for this application.
Session Chair Profile
Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO, ArcherDX, Inc.
Biography
In 2013 Dr. Myers co-founded ArcherDx Inc. with Dr. A. John Iafrate and Dr. Long P. Le to develop NGS-based assays for clinical oncology, and joined Enzymatics as Chief Scientific Officer when ArcherDx was acquired by Enzymatics Inc later that year. In 2015, Dr. Myers reassumed the role of CEO at ArcherDX after the acquisition of specific assets of Enzymatics by Qiagen. Shortly after the semiconductor sequencing company Ion Torrent was formed Dr. Myers joined and worked with the team to develop the novel sequencing chemistry and system, eventually leading a cross-functional product development team to further develop the Ion Torrent technology and sequencing applications. Dr. Myers received his PhD in Molecular Pharmacology from Stanford University School of Medicine in 2005, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship where he developed novel microarray-based methods and software to investigate genome-wide regulation of post- transcriptional gene expression.
Speaker Profile
M.D., Ph.D., Assistant in Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Assistant Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
Biography
Dr. Le is a practicing molecular pathologist who is currently the Director of Technology Development at the MGH Center for Integrated Diagnostics. His clinical and research interests include development of novel target enrichment, bioinformatics analysis, and medical informatics solutions for next-generation sequencing and their application for clinical molecular diagnostics. He has a strong interest in applying big data descriptive and predictive analytics in healthcare with the goal of efficiently delivering laboratory results and clinical decision support.
Speaker Profile
M.D., Associate in Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Medical Director, Center for Integrated Diagnostics; Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School
Biography
Dr. Iafrate is the director of the Center for Integrated Diagnostics, a clinical laboratory for molecular diagnostics at Massachusetts General Hospital. He oversees the Translational Research Laboratory (TRL), a shared effort of the Pathology Department and Mass General Cancer Center. The TRL provides rapid personalized genomic testing to help inform cancer treatment decisions for patients. Dr. Iafrate joined the Massachusetts General Hospital staff in 2005. His post-doctoral work involved the discovery and description of a novel source of human genetic diversity, termed “copy number variation” (CNV). He established a cancer diagnostics lab focusing on genetic fingerprints that help guide novel, targeted therapies. His laboratory launched SNaPshot several years ago, an assay that tests over 100 of the most common mutations in tumors. His research is focused on lung and brain tumors, and he has been closely involved in the clinical development of crizotinib and companion diagnostics in ALK-positive lung cancers.
