Three distinguished speakers -- Richard Flavell, of the Yale School of Medicine, Lisa Coussens, of the University of California, San Francisco, and Timothy Wang, of Columbia University -- discussed different ways by which tumors interact with immune cells and other cells in their local environment. Their presentations illustrated how research in this area can create new opportunities for therapeutic intervention and make cancer a more controllable disease in the future.
The symposium also honored three recipients of the Geoffrey Beene Graduate Fellowship, which since its inception in 2007 has been awarded to exemplary graduate students at Memorial Sloan-Kettering.
The Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center supports a growing list of research activities at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, including core facilities, endowed junior faculty appointments, a two-day annual retreat for investigators and graduate students, and substantial support for translational research projects. It is funded by a gift from the estate of fashion designer and philanthropist Geoffrey Beene. "The generosity of Geoffrey Beene has fundamentally changed many aspects of research and training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering," said Memorial Sloan-Kettering President Harold Varmus during his opening remarks. "It has allowed us to continue making assertive new investments in cancer research, which many of our colleagues are struggling to do in the current financial climate."
