Parker Institute Showcases Latest Advances in Immunotherapy at SITC 2026 Annual Meeting

Parker Institute leaders, investigators and collaborators contributing to 32 posters, oral presentations and sessions throughout the meeting.

Catherine J. Wu, MD, Parker Institute Co-Director at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, named a 2026 SITC Keynote Speaker and recipient of the Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award and Lectureship.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Parker Institute today announced that research and expertise from across its network will be featured at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2026), taking place November 4-8 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Parker leaders, investigators, and collaborators are contributing to 32 posters, oral presentations, and sessions across the program. This strong presence underscores the organization’s commitment to accelerating the development of breakthrough immunotherapies for cancer.

Among the highlights, Catherine J. Wu, MD, the co-director of the Parker Institute at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will receive SITC's 2026 Richard V. Smalley Memorial Award and Lectureship, the society's most prestigious award, which recognizes pioneers whose work has made a significant impact on the field of cancer immunotherapy. SITC has also selected Dr. Wu to co-chair the Thomas Waldmann Memorial Plenary Session: Cancer Vaccines, Current and Future (Plenary / Session 103) on Friday, November 6 from 9:40–11:30 AM MT.  As part of her award, Dr. Wu will deliver one of the meeting’s two keynote lectures, "Getting Off the Rollercoaster: Personalized Cancer Vaccines Come of Age."

"Dr. Wu's recognition with the Smalley Award reflects both her extraordinary contributions to the field and the strength of the collaborative model that defines the Parker Institute," said Parker Institute CEO, Karen Knudsen, MBA, PhD. "From personalized cancer vaccines to next-generation cell therapies, the breadth of science our network is bringing to SITC this year reflects our continued commitment to converting all cancers into curable disease."

In addition to therapeutic cancer vaccines, Parker investigators are advancing the next generation of cell therapies, in vivo immune engineering, and tumor microenvironment modulation through a diverse range of sessions, oral abstracts, and poster presentations. 

Sessions

• Plenary Session 103, Thomas Waldmann Memorial: Cancer Vaccines, Current and Future. Co-chaired by Catherine Wu. Fri, Nov 6. Includes a presentation from William A. Freed-Pastor, MD, PhD on The Cancer Dark Proteome.
• Session 106a, Combination Therapies Involving Cell Therapy. Co-chaired by Yvonne Chen. Features Anusha Kalbasi on “cytokine recipes” that boost T cell therapies and Mohammad Rashidian on CAR-Enhancers. Fri, Nov 6. 
• Session 106b: Human Ex Vivo Models for Immunotherapy Testing, features a presentation by David Barbie, MD on “Dynamic Immune Profiling Using Human Ex Vivo Tumor Models.” Fri, Nov 6.
• Session 107a, Immuno-oncology at Immune-privileged Sites. Co-chaired by Hideho Okada, who will present on “The Brain Is Not Immune to Immunity.” Fri, Nov 6. 
• Session 206b, IO in Low Mutation Burden Cancers. Padmanee Sharma presents on why some patients respond to checkpoint therapy and others resist it. Sat, Nov 7.
• Session 207c, Hot and Cold Tumors. Session co-chair, Antoni Ribas (UCLA) explains what makes a tumor “hot” (immune-active) or “cold” and leads a debate on the topic with session speakers. Sat, Nov 7.
• Session 207d, Cellular Therapies. Session co-chair, Justin Eyquem speaks on gene-editing T cells inside and outside the body, Marcela Maus presents on learnings from a CAR-T driver into solid tumor. Sat, Nov 7

Oral abstract presentations

• #79 (Top 150). Jingya Qiu shows that precancerous oral lesions that become cancer have distinct, spatially organized T cell responses. Co-authors are Matthew Spitzer, Anna Ralser, Alisa Dietl, and Karin Pelka. Fri, Nov 6. 
• #946. DIME-12. Stephanie Sendker presents engineered E. coli “engagers” that strengthen local anti-tumor immunity and reshape tumor metabolism, with co-author Rizwan Romee. Fri, Nov 6. 
• #953 (Top 150). Shaobo Yang presents engineered bacteria that colonize tumors and stay in place to recruit immune cells against solid tumors. Co-authors include Catherine Wu, David Barbie, Stephanie Dougan, and Rizwan Romee. Fri, Nov 6. 
• #614. CRISPR Screen Identifies SLC7A5 as a Therapeutic Target to Enhance NK-Mediated Cytotoxicity. Daryl Phuong presents on identifying SLC7A5 as a target to enhance NK-cell-mediated cancer killing. Co-authors include Justin Eyquem, Arun Wiita, and Lewis Lanier. Sat, Nov 7.
• #165. Engineering novel SynNotch CAR T cells to precisely and effectively target medulloblastoma. Maggie Colton Cove presents on engineering SynNotch CAR-T cells for precise targeting of medulloblastoma. Co-author is Hideho Okada. Sat, Nov 7.
• #246. Stromal-directed synthetic CAR T circuits (Early Career Investigator Abstract Travel Award). Caroline Whitty and colleagues present synthetic CAR-T circuits targeting tumor stroma to treat solid tumors while protecting against on-target off-tumor toxicity. Sat, Nov 7.
• #714. Juan Cubillos-Ruiz presents on how tumor stress rewires endoplasmic reticulum architecture to enforce T-cell dysfunction in cancer. Sat, Nov 7.

Posters

• #123. Stephen Hodi and Eli Van Allen: tumor microenvironment “archetypes” and immune niches in lymph nodes shape how melanoma responds to checkpoint inhibitors. Fri, Nov 6.
• #321. Chris Klebanoff: a genome-wide CRISPR screen identifies PCBP2 as a tumor-specific gene that controls how easily CD4+ T cells can kill cancer cells. Fri, Nov 6.
• #329. Jedd Wolchok and Taha Merghoub: clinical strategies to enhance TIL therapy using preclinical models. Fri, Nov 6.
• #521. AB-3028 (Phase 1/2). Gataree Ngarmchamnanrith presents on ArsenalBio's autologous programmable circuit CAR-T therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Fri, Nov 6.
• #629. Jedd Wolchok and Taha Merghoub: targeting ENT1 to enhance tumor immunogenicity and overcome resistance to immune checkpoint blockade. Fri, Nov 6.
• #665. Jedd Wolchok and Taha Merghoub: optimizing KRAS G12C targeted therapy to enhance immunotherapy efficacy in lung cancer. Fri, Nov 6.
• #1001. Jedd Wolchok and Taha Merghoub: pathogenic neutrophil recruitment and activation driving cutaneous toxicity during T-cell immunotherapy. Fri, Nov 6.
• #1077. Jedd Wolchok and Taha Merghoub: tracking how immune pressure shapes neoantigen evolution, to pick better cancer vaccine targets. Fri, Nov 6.
• #42. Stephen Hodi and Patrick Ott: blood-based and spatial tissue profiling show that blood vessel and immune features predict which patients with treatment-resistant melanoma respond to combined PD-L1/VEGF blockade. Sat, Nov 7.
• #202. Kole Roybal (co-author): using ETV6 gene fusions to improve CAR T cells against solid tumors. Sat, Nov 7.
• #224. Carl June: a preclinical “smart” SNIPR CAR-T that senses Claudin18.2 and targets mesothelin, for pancreatic and other solid tumors. Sat, Nov 7.
• #226. Irene Scarfo of ArsenalBio presents on the development of AB-7000, a logic-gated CAR T cell therapy intended for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Sat. Nov 7. 
• #428. Jedd Wolchok and Taha Merghoub: targeting CXCR2 to overcome immune checkpoint blockade resistance in LKB1-mutant lung cancer through neutrophil reprogramming. Sat, Nov 7.
• #630. Jedd Wolchok and Taha Merghoub: how metformin and phenformin differentially modulate the tumor immune microenvironment and response to immune checkpoint blockade. Sat, Nov 7.
• #668. Jedd Wolchok and Taha Merghoub: CD40 activation triggers ferroptosis, a form of cell death, as a way to drive anti-tumor immunity. Sat, Nov 7.
• #930. Jedd Wolchok and Taha Merghoub: an alum-anchored CD40–IL-2 multi-agonist that promotes local and abscopal anti-tumor immunity without systemic toxicity. Sat, Nov 7.

About Parker Institute 

Parker Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization driving the next generation of cancer treatment by accelerating the development of breakthrough immune therapies to turn all cancers into curable diseases. Founded in 2016 through the vision of Sean Parker, Parker Institute unites the nation's top cancer centers into a collaborative consortium that fuels high-risk, high-reward science with shared goals, data, and infrastructure. Unlike traditional research models, Parker goes beyond discovery by actively advancing promising innovations through clinical testing, company formation and incubation, and commercialization. Parker Institute has supported more than 1,000 investigators across its network and has a portfolio that includes 17 biotech ventures with over $4 billion raised in capital. Parker Institute is uniquely positioned to close the gap between scientific discovery and patient access. By integrating scientific excellence with entrepreneurial execution, Parker Institute is reimagining how cures are made and accelerating their path to the people who need them most. Learn more at www.parker.org.