45th EDRN Steering Committee Meeting, March 4-6, 2026, Houston, Texas
 
The Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) will host its 45th EDRN Steering Committee Meeting from Wednesday-Friday, March 4-6, 2026 at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center campus in Houston, Texas. This meeting is in-person only.
 
 
Meeting Registration, Hotel Rooms:
  • Meeting Registration: Registration is mandatory to attend this event. Fill out this registration form at https://forms.office.com/r/d9kCNRZMFZ?origin=lprLink to register online. Please be complete and accurate when completing this form, especially your email address. The deadline to register is Friday, February 20, 2026.

  • Meeting Location: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Campus.

  • Hotel Rooms: EDRN has a block of sleeping rooms at the Blossom Houston Curio Collection by Hilton. Important information:

    • The rate for all non-government attendees is $169/night plus taxes. Government employees will receive separate instructions for booking hotel rooms.

    • The deadline to book your room is Tuesday, February 10th or until the room block is full.

    • If your stay is outside the window of check-in on Tuesday, March 3rd and check-out on Friday, March 6th: First book your room in the room block, then email your confirmation number and your preferred dates of stay to the EDRN DMCC at edrndmcc@fredhutch.org so we can customize your stay.

    • Complete booking online: Early Detection Research Network Room Block - Blossom Houston Curio Collection by Hilton

  • Presentations: All presentations must be sent to the DMCC either by email (if under 24MB) at edrndmcc@fredhutch.org or via OneDrive two (2) days before the scheduled presentation. Presenters will be emailed after they have been granted access to the One Drive folder where presentations can be uploaded. Please use the latest version of PowerPoint. Please use the latest version of PowerPoint. NCI requires that we collect all presentations from EDRN events.


Schedule of Events
Times of Events are Subject to Change
AHEAD Steering Committee Meeting
  • 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, 2026 - Onstead Auditorium, S3.8012 - Mitchell Building

Main Steering Committee Meeting
  • 8:00 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, 2026 - Onstead Auditorium, S3.8012 - Mitchell Building
  • 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5, 2026 - Onstead Auditorium, S3.8012 - Mitchell Building
  • 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Friday, March 6, 2026 - Onstead Auditorium, S3.8012 - Mitchell Building

EDRN Executive Committee Meeting
  • 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, 2026 - Onstead Auditorium S3.8012

Collaborative Group Meetings
  • 3:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, 2026
    • BGYN - CPB8 Rms 1-2 - Duncan Building
    • GI - CPB8 Rms 3-4 - Duncan Building
    • Lung - Onstead Auditorium, S3.8012 - Mitchell Building
    • GU - CPB8 Rms 5-6 - Duncan Building

Current Agendas Below
Tuesday March 3rd, 2026: AHEAD Meeting (Closed Meeting - AHEAD Members Only)
2:00pm 6:00pm Onstead Auditorium, S3.8012 - Mitchell Building AHEAD See separate agenda
 
Day 1: Main EDRN Steering Committee Meeting, Wednesday March 4, 2026 - 7:00am-6:15pm CT, Location: Onstead Auditorium S3.8012 - Mitchell Building
Start End Title / Topic Presenter / Institution Number
7:00am 8:00am Registration & Sign-in N/A N/A
8:00am 8:05am Call to Order and Approval of Minutes Karen Anderson, MD, PhD
Arizona State University		 N/A
8:05am 8:20am Welcome Remarks Robert Bresalier, MD
Ernest Hawk, MD, Chief, Division of Cancer Prevention
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center		 01
8:20am 8:25am State of the EDRN Sudhir Srivastava, PhD, MPH
Senior Scientific Officer & Chief, Cancer Biomarkers Branch
National Cancer Institute		 02
8:25am 9:05am Keynote Address: The Role and Responsibilities of Cancer Prevention in a Comprehensive Cancer Center Ernest Hawk, MD, Chief, Division of Cancer Prevention
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center		 03
9:05am 9:15am Q&A Q&A Q&A
9:15am 9:30am Break & Networking
9:30am 12:00pm Discussion: Challenges and Decision Points in Biomarker Discovery and Validation Moderator(s)
  • Cecilia Yeung, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • Guillermo Marquez, PhD, National Cancer Institute
 04
9:30am 9:50am Intro-Lifecycle of a Biomarker, Go-No Go Decision at Feasibility, analytical validation, clinical validation Cecilia Yeung, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center 04
9:50am 10:05am Statistician-Statistical Considerations, Sample Size, Managing Overfitting and Optimism Bias Yingye Zheng, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center 05
10:05am 10:10am Q&A Q&A Q&A
10:10am 10:40am Panel: Successes and Failures of Biomarker Development. The panel will address the following:

What is the single most important factor of a biomarker you look for in a biomarker? in discovery, in feasibility, and in validation phases.
Please give an example of successful biomarker journey
Do you have an example of failed biomarker journey and what are the lessons learned
What are the earliest CLIA-related constraints you consider? do you have recommendations for a stop signal in biomarker development?

Optional questions:
Implementation and timing (reflex test - risk assessment associated with another test vs primary screening assay)
When do you collaborate vs. outsource your biomarker development, testing? 		Panelists:
  • Eric Grogan, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • Steven Skates, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Joseph Willis, MD, Case Western Reserve University
  • Joshua LaBaer, MD, PhD, Arizona State University/The Biodesign Institute
  • William Grady, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
06-might have slides
10:40am 10:50am Break and Networking
10:50am 11:10am Risk Assessment Early Onset Cancers Samir Hanash, MD, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 07
11:10am 11:30am Cancer Biomarkers RCTs Ruth Etzioni, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center 08
11:30am 12:00pm Closing - Going the Final Mile to Patient Testing, Billing and Insurance Consideration Victoria Raymond, Guardant Health 09
12:00pm 1:00pm Collaborations That Move the Needle - Panel Discussion
  • Scientific Intent: Determine when collaboration improves rigor and speed, and how to measure impact.
  • Desired Output: Collaboration scorecard (timelines, deliverables, reproducibility, translational impact).
  • Discussion Points:
    • Contributing factors in successful collaborations
    • Contributing factors in unsuccessful collaborations
    • How to begin, continue, and end a collaboration
    • Specific considerations for international collaborations
    • What is our blueprint for collaborative success?
 Moderator(s)
  • Karen Anderson, MD, PhD, Arizona State University
  • Jeff Tosoian, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • Sidney Fu, MD, National Cancer Institute

 10-might have slides
1:00pm 3:00pm Lunch & Networking (On Your Own) N/A N/A
1:00pm 3:00pm EDRN Executive Committee Meeting Closed Session - Onstead Auditorium S3.8012 N/A N/A
3:00pm 3:15pm Break & Networking
3:15pm 6:15pm EDRN Collaborative Group Meetings
Breast & Gynecologic Cancers Room CPB8 Rms 1-2 - Duncan Building See separate agenda
Gastrointestinal and Associated Cancers Room CPB8 Rms 3-4 - Duncan Building See separate agenda
Lung and Other Aerodigestive Cancers Onstead Auditorium S3.8012 - Mitchell Building See separate agenda
Prostate and Other Genitourinary Cancers Room CPB8 Rms 5-6 - Duncan Building See separate agenda
 
Day 2: Main EDRN Steering Committee Meeting, Thursday March 5, 2026 - 7:00am-5:30pm CT, Location: Onstead Auditorium S3.8012 - Mitchell Building
Start End Title / Topic Presenter / Institution Number
7:00am 8:00am Registration & Sign-in N/A N/A
8:00am 8:40am Keynote Address: Cancer without disease: combining the concept of healthy living and aging with strategies to diagnose and prevent malignant disease of cancer. Raghu Kalluri, MD PhD
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center		 11
8:40am 8:50am Q&A Q&A Q&A
8:50am 10:10am Data Science, Digital Infrastructure, and Biomarkers
  • Scientific Intent: Ensure EDRN data assets are discoverable, reusable, and decision-relevant.
  • Desired Outputs: Prioritized roadmap for dashboards, metadata standards, and public datasets.
 Moderator(s)
  • Jennifer Beane, PhD, Boston University
  • Nick Hodges, PhD, National Cancer Institute

Panelists:
  • William Hsu, PhD, University of California Los Angeles
  • Savannah Partridge, PhD, University of Washington School of Medicine
  • Pei Wang, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Yingye Zheng, PhD, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
  • Daniel Crichton, MS, Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology
 12-might have slides
10:10am 10:40am Break & Networking
10:40am 12:00pm Funding Environment, Rigor, and Reproducibility
  • Scientific Intent: Translate funder expectations into concrete lab and network-level practices.
  • Desired Outputs: Rigor & Reproducibility checklist and reporting templates.
 Moderator(s)
  • Sam Hanash, MD, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Zhen Zhang, PhD, Johns Hopkins University
  • Indu Kohaar, PhD, National Cancer Institute
  • Matt Young, PhD, National Cancer Institute
 13-might have slides
11:00am 11:15pm Key elements of Rigor and Reproducibility Ziding Feng, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center  
11:15am 11:20am Q&A Q&A Q&A
11:20am 11:35pm Innovation vs Evidence Threshold Gerard Davis, PhD, Alluz Diagnostics  
11:35am 11:40am Q&A Q&A Q&A
11:40am 12:00pm Panel Discussion: Balancing Innovation and Rigor in a Competitive Funding Climate
  • Samir Hanash, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
  • Zhen Zhang, PhD, John Hopkins University
  • Steven Skates, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
  
12:00pm 2:00pm Lunch & Networking (On Your Own) N/A N/A
2:00pm 3:35pm Collaborative Group Updates See Below N/A
2:00pm 2:15pm Breast and Gynecological Cancers
  • Co-chair: Savannah Partridge, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • Co-chair: Abhijit Patel, MD, PhD, Yale School of Medicine
 14
2:15pm 2:20pm Q&A Q&A Q&A
2:20pm 2:35pm Prostate and Urologic Cancers
  • Co-chair: Jeff Tosoian, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
 15
2:35pm 2:40pm Q&A Q&A Q&A
2:40pm 2:55pm Gastrointestinal and Associated Cancers
  • Co-chair: Robert Bresalier, MD, The University of Texas MD. Anderson Cancer Center
  • Co-chair: Cecilia Yeung, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
 16
2:55pm 3:00pm Q&A Q&A Q&A
3:00pm 3:15pm Break & Networking
3:15pm 3:30pm Lung
  • Co-chair: Marc Lenburg, PhD, Boston University
    • Co-chair: Eric Grogan, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • Co-chair: Sara Pai (AHEAD), PhD, Yale University
 17
3:30pm 3:35pm Q&A Q&A Q&A
3:35pm 3:50pm AHEAD Steering Committee Summary
  • Sara Pai, PhD Yale University
  • Yu Leo Lei, DDS, PhD - The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
 18
3:50pm 3:55pm Q&A Q&A Q&A
3:55pm 4:10pm Update on EDRN Liver Clinical Utility Trial (TRACER) Amit Singal, MD, University of Texas Southwestern 19
4:10pm 4:15pm Q&A Q&A Q&A
4:15pm 4:30pm Break & Networking
4:30pm 5:30pm Panel Discussion - Publishing Negative and Null Results:
  • Scientific Intent: Preserve well-designed null findings to improve decision quality.
  • Desired Outputs: Agreement on criteria and dissemination pathways for negative results.
 Moderator(s)
  • Ziding Feng, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • Steven Skates, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
  • Wendy Wang, PhD, National Cancer Institute

Panelists:
  • Karen Anderson, MD PhD - Arizona State University
  • Ruth Etzioni, PhD - Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
  • James Herman, MD - University of Pittsburgh
  • Yu Leo Lei, PhD, DDS - University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
  • Sara Pai, MD, PhD - Yale University
 20-might have slides
5:30pm Adjourn Day 2
 
Day 3: Main EDRN Steering Committee Meeting, Friday March 6, 2026 - 7:00am-11:30am CT, Location: Onstead Auditorium S3.8012 - Mitchell Building
Start End Title / Topic Presenter / Institution Number
7:00am 8:00am Registration & Sign-in N/A N/A
8:00am 8:40am Keynote Address: Blood-based metabolic signatures of microbial dysbiosis and pancreas exocrine dysfunction for risk assessment of pancreatic cancer Johannes Fahrmann, PhD The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 21
8:40am 8:50am Q&A Q&A Q&A
8:50am 9:00am Break & Networking
9:00am 11:30am EDRN Leadership Summit - Fireside Chat
  • Scientific Intent: Convert discussions into commitments with timelines.
  • Desired Outputs: 90-day action plan and 12-month metric dashboard.
 Moderator:
  • Karen Anderson, MD, PhD Arizona State University/Mayo Clinic

Presenter:
  • Larry Norton, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Discussion Questions:
1. Where do we go next over the next five years? Strategy and key decisions (From EDRN today to EDRN in 5 years)

2. How do we effectively support and move successful programs forward, and how and which programs should we sunset?

3. What does EDRN need to be credible and useful to adopters? (health systems, clinicians, payers, regulators, industry)

4. What's new: advances in MCED, AI, integrated imaging + omics, longitudinal data resources, real-world evidence, and emerging technologies to inform EDRN's strategic direction

5. How can EDRN be an effective partner for CSRN? For example, feeding a "trial-ready" pipeline of candidates into CSRN and supporting assay standardization, validation, and data harmonization

22-might have slides
11:30am Adjourn EDRN Steering Committee Meeting
 


If you have any questions regarding meeting registration, please contact EDRN DMCC at edrndmcc@fredhutch.org.

 
 
The meeting registration form created by EDRN DMCC at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center ©