DAY ONE
8:00 am Registration & Networking
8:55 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Transforming Drug Development: Innovations in Omics Integration & Spatial Technology
9:00 am Inference of Drug Response & Resistance Mechanisms using Multi-modal Omics Analysis
Synopsis
- Balancing evidence generation with cost of drug development: when and how much?
- Navigating data integration and analysis paradigms used in therapeutic development
- Improving the development of models for hypothesis generation
9:30 am Panel Discussion: Innovations in Spatial Technology Integration: Pioneering Solutions for Complex Biological Questions
Synopsis
- Exploring new software, technologies, and methodologies for integrating complex spatial data with various omics layers
- Sharing examples of successful application and integration of new tools in research settings
- Delving into emerging trends and future developments in spatial technology integration and their potential impact on the field
10:15 am Breakout Roundtable Discussions
Synopsis
This session is your opportunity to share your most pressing challenges and work as a group to come up with solutions that you can implement right away. Each topic area will have several small groups, and each group will have 20 minutes to discuss their thoughts on the given topic. Groups will then share their findings with all attendees during the final 10 minutes, giving you maximum exposure to new ideas
Comparison of Currently Available Spatial Technologies: Proteomics for Immuno-Oncology
Compare spatial transcriptomics technologies in immuno-oncology,
from low-plex to high-plex, highlighting their ability to profile tumor-immune interactions, identify critical gene expression patterns, and assess cost-efficiency trade-offs for biomarker discovery and treatment personalization, while considering timelines and data analysis challenges.
Comparison of Currently Available Spatial
Technologies: Transcriptomics for Immuno-Oncology
Compare spatial proteomics technologies in immuno-oncology,
from low-plex to high-plex, focusing on their role in profiling the
tumor-immune interface, identifying key protein expression patterns, and evaluating cost-efficiency trade-offs for biomarker discovery and therapeutic targeting, while addressing timelines and sample preparation challenges.
10:45 am Speed Networking
Synopsis
As the Spatial Biology community is reunited, this valuable session will ensure you get the chance to reconnect with peers and make brand new connections! This structured networking opportunity will pair you with fellow attendees for several 3-minute introductions, ensuring you have the opportunity to meet and network with your industry colleagues
11:15 am Morning Break & Networking
From Data to Discovery: Navigating High Dimensionality & Effective Communication in Spatial Biology
11:45 am Navigating Complexity: High Dimensionality Reduction & Dynamics in Spatial Biology for Immuno-Oncology
Synopsis
- Discussing the challenges posed by high-dimensional datasets in spatial biology, such as data noise, computational costs, and interpretation difficulties
- Introducing various dimensionality reduction techniques used in spatial biology
- Exploring how reduced-dimensionality data can be utilized to study the dynamics of the tumor microenvironment, focusing on immune cell interactions, spatial organization, and temporal changes
12:15 pm Effective Communication of Data Analysis in Spatial Omics
Synopsis
- Transforming data complexity with high-throughput spatial omics, offering insights that exceed traditional non-spatial platforms
- Distilling valuable biological insights from complex spatial omics data
- Exploring case studies on differential expression analysis, cell-cell colocalization, and ligand-receptor communication that highlight their biological significance
Transforming Clinical Outcomes: Leveraging Diversity & Predictive Modeling in Immuno-Oncology
12:45 pm Enhancing LORIS Model for Predicting Immune Checkpoint Blockade Response in NSCLC
Synopsis
- Incorporating CT-based tumor growth inhibition metrics into the LORIS model to improve the assessment of tumor dynamics and enhance predictive accuracy for immune checkpoint blockade responses
- Integrating H&E-based tumor immune microenvironment project (TIMAP) features, to enrich the LORIS model with critical biological context, aiding in the identification of patients who may benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy
- Delivering a nuanced understanding of patient responses to immune checkpoint blockade therapy, the enhanced LORIS model empowers better patient stratification and more informed clinical decision-making
1:15 pm Lunch & Networking
2:15 pm Roundtable: Future-Proofing Spatial Biology: Ensuring Applicability Across Diverse Populations
Synopsis
- Exploring how artificial intelligence can analyse large, diverse spatial data sets, identifying patterns that traditional methods might overlook, leading to more personalized drug development for various demographic groups
- Highlighting the potential of spatial technologies to reveal disease mechanisms unique to different populations and geographies, improving health outcomes worldwide
- Examining the importance of DE&I in cross-sector collaboration (biopharma, academia, vendors) to ensure research design, and data collection truly reflect and benefit diverse populations in clinical applications
Harnessing Spatial Omics to Uncover Disease Mechanisms & Drive Biomarker Discovery in Immuno-Oncology & Beyond
2:45 pm Leveraging Multimodal Profiling of FFPE Tissue to Characterize Disease Biology & Enable Novel Early Target Identification in Crohn’s Disease
Synopsis
- Demonstrating how spatial transcriptomics combined with single nuclei RNAseq and multiplex immunofluorescence from FFPE tissue provides a comprehensive view of disease biology, with parallels to immuno-oncology applications
- Showcasing how innovative bioinformatics approaches and histologically guided features can be applied to analyze curated patient cohorts and drive target discovery
- Presenting a novel framework that, while developed for inflammatory diseases, can be adapted to uncover actionable targets in tumor immunology and improve immunotherapy strategies
3:15 pm Afternoon Break & Networking
3:45 pm Reserved for Canopy Biosciences
4:00 pm Decoding Tumor Microenvironments: Using Spatial Omics for Discovering New Biomarkers
Synopsis
- Highlighting techniques for identifying and validating new biomarkers using spatial omics
- Advancing methodologies for validating novel biomarkers discovered through spatial omics, including experimental validation, cross-validation with other techniques, and integration with clinical data
- Examining how these biomarkers have been translated into clinical insights or applications, such as improving diagnostics, guiding therapeutic decisions, or predicting patient outcomes
4:30 pm Challenges & Opportunities in Spatial Omics for Clinical Biomarker Development
Synopsis
- Highlighting the significance of the TME in disease progression and treatment
- Discussing how findings from spatial omics could influence clinical practice, such as personalised medicine approaches
- Overcoming challenges in translating spatial omics discoveries into routine clinical biomarkers