Located at the Smilow Center for Translational Research Auditorium/Commons at Penn Medicine (enter through Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine).
This hybrid symposium is designed to educate researchers, scientists, and health care providers in cancer genetics by presenting cutting-edge data from renowned researchers and clinicians. This symposium will provide new information on progress in cancer screening and prevention, as well as ongoing work in targeted therapy for BRCA1, BRCA2 and other mutation carriers through a series of lectures and panel discussions.
Program Objective
At the completion of this symposium, attendees should be able to:
- Discuss new research on the genetic epidemiology of BRCA1/2 and other homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) genes.
- Describe current ethical, legal and social issues associated with carrying a BRCA1/2 mutation.
- Review new approaches to screening and prevention of hereditary breast, ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer.
- Discuss new advances in treatment for mutation
Who Should Attend
Healthcare providers including medical oncology, surgical oncology, gynecology oncology, OB-GYN, genetic counselors, primary care physicians, physician assistants and nurses/nurse practitioners who are interested in the genetics of BRCA1/2 related cancers.
Co-Organizers
- 2026 Scientific Symposium
- Ronald Drapkin, MD, PhD
Franklin Payne Associate Professor of Pathology in Obstetrics & Gynecology
Director, Penn Ovarian Cancer Research Center
Director of Gynecologic Cancer Research, Basser Center for BRCA - Dana Farengo Clark, MS, MS, LCGC
Senior Genetic Counselor
Mariann & Robert MacDonald Cancer Risk Evaluation Center
Basser Center for BRCA - Adam Fredo, PA-C
Physician Assistant
Medical Oncology
Penn Medicine - Roger Greenberg, MD, PhD
J. Samuel Staub, MD, Professor, Department of Cancer Biology
Director, Penn Center for Genome Integrity (PCGI)
Director of Basic Science, Basser Center for BRCA - Mosetta Harris, CRNP
Nurse Practitioner
Rena Rowan Breast Center
Penn Medicine - Katherine Nathanson, MD
Pearl Basser Professor of BRCA-Related Research
Deputy Director, Abramson Cancer Center
Director of Genetics, Basser Center for BRCA
Penn Medicine Faculty
- 2026 Scientific Symposium
- Dana Farengo Clark, MS, CGC
Genetic Counselor III
Penn Medicine - Susan Domchek, MD
Executive Director, Basser Center for BRCA
Basser Professor in Oncology
Director, Mariann and Robert MacDonald Cancer Risk Evaluation Center
University of Pennsylvania - Theodore Drivas, MD, PhD
Co-Director, UPenn HHT Center of Excellence
Assistant Director of Scientific Outreach, Penn Medicine BioBank
Assistant Professor of Medicine (Translational Medicine and Human Genetics)
Assistant Professor of Medicine in Genetics
University of Pennsylvania - Roger Greenberg, MD, PhD
J. Samuel Staub, MD, Professor, Department of
Cancer Biology
Director, Penn Center for Genome Integrity (PCGI)
Director of Basic Science, Basser Center for BRCA
University of Pennsylvania - Jessica Long, MS, CGC, CGAF
Mariann & Robert MacDonald Caner Risk Evaluation Center, Basser Center for BRCA
Director, Penn Medicine Lynch Syndrome Program
Fellow, CGA-IGC
Penn Medicine - Anna Raper, MS, CGC
Medical GeneticsDeputy Director
Penn Medicine Center for Genomic Medicine
Penn Medicine - Mihn T. Than, MD, PhD
Division on Hematology and Oncology
Research Fellow Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Guest Speakers
- 2026 Scientific Symposium
- Alan D. D'Andrea, MD, FAACR
BRCA Impact Award Recipient, Basser Center for BRCA
Director of the Center for DNA Damage and Repair
Director of the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute - Tobias Else, MD
Associate Professor
University of Michigan Health - Dominik Glodzik, PhD
Instructor in Biomedical Informatics
Harvard Department of Biomedical Informatics - Heather Hampel, MS, CGC
Associate Director, Division of Clinical Cancer Genomics
Professor, Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research
City of Hope - Dana Ishay-Ronen, MD, PhD
Physician - Scientist
Oncology Institute
Sheba Medical Center - Walid Khaled, PhD
Professor of Tumour Initiation
Department of Pharmacology &
Deputy Director Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
University of Cambridge - Mark LaBarge, PhD
Professor
Department of Population Sciences
Director, Postdoctoral Training Program
Deputy Director, Center for Cancer and Aging
Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope - Devon Lawson, PhD
Associate Professor
Dept. of Physiology & Biophysics
Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of California, Irvine - Ephrat Levy-Lahad, MD
Global Prize Recipient, Basser Center for BRCA
Robin Chemers Neustein Director of the Fuld Family Medical Genetics Institute
Shaare Zedek Medical Center - Daniel Lin, MD
Professor & Interim Chair of Urology at UW Medicine
Pritt Family Endowed Chair in Prostate Cancer Research
Director, Institute of Prostate Cancer Research (IPCR)
Professor, Division of Public Health Sciences at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
University of Washington - Simon Powell, MD, PhD, FRCP
Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center - Paul Salomon Mischel, MD, FAACR
Fortinet Founders Professor
Professor, By Courtesy, Department of Neurosurgery
Vice Chair for Research, Department of Pathology
Institute Scholar and Deputy Director, Translational Science, Sarafan ChEM-H
Stanford University - Allessandro Vindigni, PhD
Ira Lang Professor of Medicine
Professor of Medicine, Pathology and Immunology,
Washington University School of Medicine
Director of the Center for Genome Integrity,
Siteman Cancer Center - Catharine Wang, PhD, MSc
Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences
Associate Director of Community Engagement, BU Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Boston University
Registration Information
This conference is FREE but we strongly recommend registration. Registration is required for continuing education credits.
Visitor Information
Abstract Poster Session
We are now accepting abstracts for the Scientific Symposium Poster Session. Submissions are due by Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 5 PM ET. The Poster Session will take place on Day 1 of the Scientific Symposium on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
Case Study Submissions
If you have an interesting or challenging case for review during our case panel discussion, please submit a de-identified pedigree in PDF format by Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (instructions below). We will contact you for more information as needed if the case is selected for review. The Case Panel will take place on Day 1 of the Scientific Symposium on Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
Submission Instructions:
- Send an email to basserinfo@pennmedicine.upenn.edu with the automatic subject line: Symposium Case Review.
- Please include your name, title, and institution in your email.
- Submit you case study by attaching a de-identified pedigree in PDF format.
Contact Us
We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions.
If you have any questions or comments, please use this form to contact us directly or call 215.662.4348.