2016 Archived Content
Short Courses*
Monday, September 19 | 8:00 - 11:00 am
SC1: Immunology Basics for Chemists - Detailed Agenda
Immunology is a difficult subject to master, even for immunologists. Newly discovered cell types and their associated function in human health and disease have been continuously revealed over the last decade. In this course immunologists (non-physicians) with extensive experience in biopharmaceutical drug discovery and development will break it down for you by filling in the gaps that most chemists have. It’s not a comprehensive course –but hopefully better – a useful course. The focus will range from basic background biology and terminology that immunologists take for granted and then jump to the biological underpinnings of the areas and targets a lot of medicinal chemists are developing compounds against.
Instructor:
Songqing Na, Ph.D., Senior Research Advisor, Biotechnology & Autoimmunity Res-AME, Eli Lilly and Company
Thomas Sundberg, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist I, Center for the Development of Therapeutics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
SC4: Medical Dermatology Therapeutic R&D and Technical Innovation: Understanding Mechanisms, Novel Targets and Pathways & Industry Case Studies - Part 1 - Detailed Agenda
Skin is the largest organ and dermatology is a very unique Therapeutic Area (TA) with a breadth of indications. Now is a dynamic time for the prescription dermatological drug industry due to consolidation, rising demand for therapies, and a deeper understanding of novel targets and disease pathways. This two-part short course provides a platform to discuss and learn about key challenges and special considerations of dermatology drug development.
Instructors:
Jack Leonard, Ph.D., Professor, Microbiology and Physiological Systems, UMASS Medical School
Krishna Menon, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer, Cellceutix Corporation
M. Joyce Rico, M.D., MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Novan, Inc.
Yael Schwartz, Ph.D., CEO, Or-Genix Therapeutics, Inc.
Michael Sierra, Ph.D., Vice President, Head, LEO Science & Tech Hub USA, LEO Pharma
Thean Yeoh, Ph.D., Associate Research Fellow, Pfizer
Meng Zhou, Head, R&D, Contract Pharmaceutical Limited Canada
Monday, September 19 | 12:00 - 3:00 pm
SC5: GPCR Structure-Based Drug Discovery - Detailed Agenda
Recent breakthroughs in obtaining high resolution structures of G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) are rapidly impacting the pharmaceutical industry. This course will review the most recently elucidated GPCR crystal structures and explore how new structural information is guiding rational drug design approaches for targeting GPCRs. This course will also review the role of conformational dynamics in GPCR function and cover structural biology techniques, including the burgeoning field of applying nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), to study GPCR structure and dynamics.
Instructors:
Matthew Eddy, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow, Ray Stevens Laboratory, The Bridge Institute, University of Southern California
Huixian Wu, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Groton Center of Chemistry, Pfizer Inc.
SC6: RNA as a Small Molecule Drug Target - Detailed Agenda
Long considered a molecule that existed simply to transmit information for coding proteins, it has become clear that RNA regulates diverse biological phenomena on a number of levels. Additionally, RNA contributes to the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, ranging from human cancers to bacterial and viral infections. However, targeting RNA with small molecules has historically proven challenging. Nonetheless, recent efforts have demonstrated that at least some types of RNA are in fact targetable with drug-like small molecules. This workshop will focus on approaches for targeting RNA with small molecules, including researchers from both academia and industry. Discussions will include the types of RNA that are druggable, strategies for identifying biologically active, RNA-binding small molecules, and the future of RNA as a drug target.
Instructors:
John “Jay” Schneekloth Jr., Ph.D., Investigator, Chemical Biology Laboratory; Head, Chemical Genetics Section, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH
Thomas Hermann, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry; Co-Director, UCSD Center for Drug Discovery Innovation
Graham Smith, Ph.D., Director, Medicinal Chemistry, and Project Team Leader, Merck
Atwood Cheung, Ph.D., Investigator III, Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Inc.
SC7: Using IP Landscape Studies to Improve Your Confidence While Navigating a Crowded IP and Technology Space - Detailed Agenda
IP management sometimes feels a little like walking around in the dark surrounded by any number of known & unknown dangers. This course will explore how you can leverage an IP landscape study (generated by scientists and not software) to assess IP dangers and business opportunities. Analyzing the landscape from an IP and a technology perspective can highlight your company’s strategic positioning at a product, technology, product attribute, and manufacturing level. Case studies will be presented.
Instructors:
David Berry, M.D., Ph.D., General Partner, Flagship Ventures
Ananda Chakrabarty, Ph.D., Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Illinois College of Medicine
Anu Daniel, Ph.D., Licensing Manager, Innovation, Partners Healthcare
Drew Lowery, Ph.D., Director of Life Sciences and Group Leader, Biotechnology Pharmaceuticals Group, Global Prior Art, Inc.
Amy Mendel, J.D., SVP, Intellectual Property, Evelo Biosciences
Daniel Neuman, Ph.D., Group Leader, Chemistry & Materials, Global Prior Art, Inc.
SC8: Medical Dermatology Therapeutic R&D and Technical Innovation: Early Formulation Considerations, Utilizing New Tech for Med Derm R&D, CMC, Formulation Development and Late Stage Clinical - Part 2 - Detailed Agenda
Skin is the largest organ and dermatology is a very unique Therapeutic Area (TA) with a breadth of indications. Now is a dynamic time for the prescription dermatological drug industry due to consolidation, rising demand for therapies, and a deeper understanding of novel targets and disease pathways. This two-part short course provides a platform to discuss and learn about key challenges and special considerations of dermatology drug development.
Instructors:
Hans Hofland, Ph.D., Vice President Research and Nonclinical Development, Dermira, Inc.
Jack Leonard, Ph.D., Professor, Microbiology and Physiological Systems, UMASS Medical School
Krishna Menon, Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer, Cellceutix Corporation
Yael Schwartz, Ph.D., CEO, Or-Genix Therapeutics, Inc.
Michael Sierra, Ph.D., Vice President, Head, LEO Science & Tech Hub USA, LEO Pharma
Thean Yeoh, Ph.D., Associate Research Fellow, Pfizer
Meng Zhou, Head, R&D, Contract Pharmaceutical Limited Canada
Monday, September 19 | 3:30 - 6:30 pm
SC9: Targeting of GPCRs with Monoclonal Antibodies - Detailed Agenda
While GPCRs are important therapeutic targets, it has been challenging to discover therapeutically relevant antibodies against them. This course will examine different steps along the anti-GPCR antibody discovery pathway and highlight various approaches to accomplishing each step. The topics to be covered include antibody discovery, assays to measure antibody binding, in vitro assays to measure functional activity of the antibody and review of promising GPCR targets and antibodies in the clinic.
Instructor:
Barbara Swanson, Ph.D., Director, Research, Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc.
SC12: Introduction to Gene Editing - Detailed Agenda
This course will cover the basics of gene editing, the terminologies and the techniques, the applications, their strengths and limitations. The course will discuss the differences between the CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas, Transcription Activator-like Effector Nucleases (TALENs), Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs) and other gene editing systems. It will introduce the concepts of CRISPRi, CRISPRa, when and where they can be used. Alternatives of Cas9, basics that guide RNA design and mechanism of action, will all be discussed in an informal, interactive setting. There will be plenty of time allocated to open discussion, sharing of ideas and exchange of best practices, as people are updated on the scientific and technical progress being made in the field, as well as a quick overview of the regulatory landscape.
Instructors:
Stephanie Mohr, Ph.D., Lecturer, Genetics & Director, Drosophila RNAi Screening Center at Harvard Medical School
Claire Yanhui Hu, Ph.D., Senior Bioinformatician, Drosophila RNAi Screening Center, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School
Paul Enríquez, J.D., LL.M., Ph.D. Candidate, Structural and Molecular Biochemistry, North Carolina State University
Monday, September 19 | 7:00 - 9:30 pm
Dinner Provided
SC13: Convergence of Immunotherapy and Epigenetics for Cancer Treatment - Detailed Agenda
In recent years the understanding of both the immunotherapy and epigenetics of cancer has increased. This course will provide some details of how immunotherapy and epigenetic pathways interact and how they can be exploited to enhance the efficacy of current cancer treatments. The instructors will review recent scientific evidence and pre-clinical data that support the development of combination therapies and offer their perspectives on challenges that may have to be tackled along the way.
• Epigenetic regulation of anti-tumor immune responses
• Combinatorial approaches of epigenetic modifiers (HDAC inhibitors, hypomethylating agents) with checkpoint blockade and other emerging immunotherapeutic strategies
Instructors:
Eduardo M. Sotomayor, M.D., Director, GW Cancer Center, Professor, Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, George Washington University
Alejandro Villagra, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University
Gian Luca Araldi, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO, Vela
Therapeutics LLC and Co-Founder and CSO, Avanti Biosciences Inc.
Wednesday, September 21 | 7:00 - 9:30 pm
Dinner Provided
SC14: Cancer Metabolism: Pathways, Targets and Clinical Updates - Detailed Agenda
Cancer cells, to fuel their growth, rely on what for normal cells is the ‘side’ metabolic pathway. Therefore inhibiting the metabolic enzymes that are ‘activated’ in the cancer cells offers a more precise and targeted therapeutic approach for cancer. This strategy has started to gain traction in the drug discovery industry over the past few years with the first ‘cancer metabolic’ inhibitors recently progressing into clinical trials. In this course we will review the complex metabolic pathways that are exploited by cancer cells and provide an update of the status of the cancer metabolic inhibitors in development.
Instructors:
Raju Pusapati, Ph.D., Scientist, Ribon Therapeutics; formerly Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Discovery Oncology, Genentech
Vipin Suri, Ph.D., Head, Biology, Raze Therapeutic
SC15: Introduction to Allosteric Modulators and Biased Ligands of GPCRs - Detailed Agenda
Allosteric modulators and pathway-biased ligands represent novel therapeutic approaches for achieving more selective actions with regards to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). However the identification and characterization of such compounds can be challenging due in part to ‘context-dependent phenomena’. Aimed at scientists working on GPCRs this course will provide information on the identification and validation of allosteric, pathway-biased drugs including emerging screening approaches, practical tips and tools for identification and validation, and the structural basis underlying such drugs.
Instructor:
Corey Hopkins, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Annette Gilchrist, Ph.D., Professor, Pharmacology, Midwestern University
SC16: Functional Screening Strategies Using CRISPR and RNAi - Detailed Agenda
This course will offer details on how the CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas technology works, how to set up CRISPR-based screens and how to complement it with existing RNAi-based screens using proper analysis and follow-up studies. The instructors will share their experiences on how to go about evaluating reagents/libraries, designing and setting up assays, and interpreting results when dealing with complex biology and informatics. The applications of such functional genomics screens for drug discovery and disease modeling will be discussed, along with design and workflows when working with different model systems. Ideas and best practices will be shared in an informal, interactive setting and attendees will walk away with practical advice and resources.
Instructors:
Jennifer Smith, Ph.D., Deputy Director, ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility, Harvard Medical School
Scott Martin, Ph.D., Group Lead, Functional Genomics, Genentech Inc.
John Doench, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT
Eugen Buehler, Ph.D., Group Leader, Informatics, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health
* Separate registration required for Short Courses, Symposia, Training Seminar