From Insight to Impact: Closing the Gap Between Basic Science and Clinical Trials

📅  Date: Monday, September 14, 2026

🕒  Official Program Hours: 08:00 – 17:00

đź“Ť  Location: Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), San Antonio, Texas

🚪 Main Event Room: Auditorium

🏷️ Registration Fee: USD 25 (includes breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks)

Registration & Fee Information

To formalize your attendance at the SIOP-NEXT 2026 Symposium, please review the registration guidelines below:

Registration Fee

  • Symposium Rate: USD 25

  • What’s Included: Full access to all scientific presentations, interactive panel discussions, and workshop materials. The fee completely covers your catering for the day, including breakfast, lunch, and all mid-session coffee breaks.

Payment & Confirmation Process

  1. Form Submission: Fill out your contact information and session preferences in the interactive form below.

  2. Payment Processing: Part of the registration process via a secured link.

  3. Final Confirmation: Will be sent automatically once the payment has been processed.

Important Trainee Note: If you are registering as a Senior PhD candidate or trainee, please ensure your institution details are accurately noted to assist the organizing committee with matching your profile to relevant mentors.

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About SIOP-NEXT

SIOP-NEXT is a global community of early-career professionals advancing pediatric oncology through translational research. We place childhood cancer biology at the heart of clinical trials, treatments, and patient care.

Who Should Attend?

This symposium is specifically tailored for early-career professionals pursuing careers in pediatric oncology with a focus on translational and preclinical research. This ncludes:

  • Postdoctoral Researchers

  • Clinician-Scientists

  • Senior PhD Candidates

Our goal is to support you by promoting international collaboration, strengthening professional networks, and facilitating exchange between laboratory and clinical communities across diverse healthcare and research settings.

Preliminary Programme:

08:00 – 08:45 | Breakfast & Networking
Pre-assigned, topic-focused tables to encourage early interaction (based on pre-meeting participant survey):

  • Leukemia/Lymphoma
  • Brain Tumors
  • Solid Tumors
  • Stem cell transplantation and cellular therapies
  • Rare Diseases

08:45 – 09:00 | Welcome and Introduction

09:00 – 10:00 | Inspiring Session I: Integrating Biological Research into Clinical Trials
Speakers:

  • Kara L. Davis, MD (Stanford Medicine; Vice Chair, Biology, ALL Committee, Children’s Oncology Group)
  • Pablo Domizi, PhD (Stanford Medicine; Postdoctoral Fellow)

A dual presentation highlighting the integration of translational science into clinical trials, combining senior leadership and early-career perspectives, including career development insights.

10:00 – 10:30 | Panel Discussion & Audience Q&A

Topic: Bridging basic, translational, and clinical research in pediatric oncology

10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee Break & Networking

11:00 – 12:00 | Inspiring Session II: Advancing Translational Research in LMIC Settings
Speakers:

  • Dr. Nickhill Bhakta (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)
  • Collaborating scientist from LMIC (TBC)

Focus on innovative approaches to integrating diagnostics and biology into clinical care and trials, including global collaborations.

12:00 – 12:30 | Panel Discussion & Audience Q&A
Topic: Opportunities and challenges in conducting translational research in LMICs

12:30 – 13:30 | Mentoring Lunch
Pre-assigned small-group discussions with mentors (based on pre-meeting participant survey):

  • Kara L. Davis
    Pablo Domizi
  • Nickhill Bhakta
  • TBD

13:30 – 14:15 | Interactive session: Turning Discovery into Impact: What Role Can SIOP Play?

Moderator: TBD

14:30 – 15:15 | Inspirational Lecture I: Career Development, Funding, and Opportunities within SIOP + discussion

  • Speakers (TBC):
    Prof. M.M. van den Heuvel-Eibrink (Chair, SIOP Scientific Committee)
  • Susanne Wollaert (Chief Executive Officer SIOP)

Focus on available grants, funding opportunities, and career development pathways within SIOP for early-career researchers in translational and preclinical pediatric oncology.

15:15– 15:45 | Inspirational Lecture II: TBC

  • Prof. Susanne Turner

Topic (tentative): Why Understanding Cancer Biology Is Still the Key to Better (and Kinder) Therapies

15:45 – 16:00 | Group Photo Opportunity

16:00-16:30 | Discussion & Audience Q&A with Prof. Rob Pieters (SIOP President)

Topic: Navigating career development, funding, and engagement opportunities within SIOP

16:30 – 17:00 | Wrapping up: the future of SIOP NEXT

17:00 – 18:00 | Networking drinks with mentors

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