UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center will welcome top scientists and physicians working to understand and stop cancer’s metastatic spread for its sixth-annual Michael J. Weber Symposium on Oct. 2.
The Weber Symposium honors the life and achievements of renowned scientist, professor and former Cancer Center Director Michael J. Weber, PhD, by bringing together researchers and clinicians to present findings on an important and timely area of cancer research and therapy.
The theme of this year’s event is “cancer metastasis,” the process by which cancer spreads beyond the organ or tissue where it originated. Metastatic cancer is significantly more challenging to treat and accounts for well more than half of cancer deaths.
“Metastasis is an inherently complex area of cancer research and care, and this year’s presenters cover its full spectrum, from genetics to treatment considerations like survivors’ quality of life,” said Thomas P. Loughran Jr., MD, director of UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center. “That connection between discovery and compassion was a signature of Mike’s career, so the program is a fitting tribute to his memory and his legacy at the Cancer Center.”
Scheduled presenters include:
Weber joined the University of Virginia School of Medicine faculty in 1983 and was part of the Cancer Center’s establishment a year later. He served as director from 2000 to 2013. Under his leadership, the Cancer Center developed as a hub for both patients and researchers through compassionate medical care, increased clinical trials and innovative basic and translational research. It also became a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center. The Cancer Center subsequently earned Comprehensive Cancer Center designation under Loughran’s leadership.
In the lab, Weber’s research focused on cell signaling and how it can be exploited to treat prostate and bladder cancer, melanoma and leukemias. He was a major contributor to the discovery and analysis of the MAP Kinase pathway, a key regulator of cell growth and an important drug target. He developed new therapies and therapeutic approaches, with his later research focused on compensatory survival signaling in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma. At one point, he was among the top 1% of scientists cited in molecular biology, genetics and biochemistry research.
The Weber Symposium will be held from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Oct. 2 in the UVA School of Medicine’s Pinn Hall Auditorium, at 1102 Lane Road. Registration is free and includes breakfast and lunch. For more information and to RSVP and register to attend in-person or virtually, click here .