UPCOMING: 2025 ALLIANCE FALL GROUP MEETING
























Meeting book

Congratulations to the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center for the 2025 Alliance Fall Group Meeting Book cover design. Stephenson Cancer Center is Oklahoma’s only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center and largest oncology provider, bringing research, innovation and hope to the forefront of every patient’s health journey. In Oklahoma, 1 in 4 cancer patients are treated at Stephenson Cancer Center, and with 440 active research projects, the cancer center is dedicated to changing the lives of thousands in Oklahoma and beyond. Adam Asch, MD, serves as principal investigator of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center LAPS. The meeting book is now available on the Alliance member website.

What to expect

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology will convene the 2025 Alliance Fall Group Meeting November 5-7 at the Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel and virtually.

Over three days, the meeting will feature a range of scientific and administrative sessions led by leading oncology researchers, clinical trial experts, and research administrators from across the country. It will highlight innovative cancer prevention, control, and treatment trials conducted through a collaborative network of academic and community-based researchers, as part of the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) and Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP).

All attendees must register in advance to participate in the meeting and access virtual sessions.
To join sessions, view agendas and presentations, or connect with other attendees, please log in to the Attendee Hub using the same credentials you used during registration.

Please note: Closed sessions are by invitation only and will not appear on the website or app.

For any questions about the meeting or registration, contact Meetings@AllianceNCTN.org.

Take a closer look.

Plan accordingly. View the meeting schedule.
Check out a few meeting highlights below.
All times noted are Central Daylight Time (CDT).

PLENARY SESSION :: Friday, November 7, 10 am-12:30 pm

Welcome and Announcements



Evanthia Galanis, MD
Group Chair
Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology


 

Invited Speaker
“Behind the Pages: Publishing with Nature Medicine”

Saheli Sadanand, PhD
Deputy Editor
Nature Medicine

Dr. Sadanand has served in her current role since 2022, following her tenure as the immunology and immunotherapy editor at Nature Medicine beginning in 2019. She began her editorial career in 2018 as a Locum Associate Editor at Nature Biotechnology. At Nature Medicine, she oversees manuscripts related to oncology, immunotherapies, rheumatology, and human immunology. 

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2025 Richard L. Schilsky Cancer and Leukemia Group B Achievement Award

Richard Stone, MD
Lunder Family Chair in Leukemia
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Chief of Staff, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Director, Translational Research Leukemia Division of Medical Oncology

The Richard L. Schilsky CALGB Achievement Award is a yearly award established in 2010 to recognize the 15-year tenure of Dr. Schilsky as Group Chair of Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB). The award acknowledges the significant contributions of an individual to cooperative group research and honors individuals who have shaped Alliance into a stronger organization, either through past leadership or other contributions. Dr. Stone’s work focuses on adult acute and chronic leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and myeloproliferative neoplasms. He has been instrumental in translational and clinical research that has helped advance new therapies for these conditions. His laboratory explores mechanisms of leukemic cell differentiation and novel targeted therapeutic strategies.
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24th ANNUAL JIMMIE HOLLAND LECTURE :: Thursday, November 6, 12:30 pm-1:30 pm

“Behavioral Interventions for Cancer Survivors and Their Family Members”
Sharon Manne, PhD, FABMR, FSBM
Professor, Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Director, Joint Office of Faculty Mentorship, Rutgers Cancer Institute and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Co-Director, Cancer Survivorship and Outcomes Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute

Sponsored by the Alliance Health Outcomes Committee, the Jimmie Holland Lecture was established to honor Dr. Holland’s contributions to the field of psycho-oncology in the CALGB/Alliance. Those receiving this honor have demonstrated notable contributions in psycho-oncology, contributing to Dr. Holland’s legacy. Dr. Manne is the recipient of this year’s lectureship. Her career, spanning decades of impactful research, clinical leadership, and mentorship,  exemplifies the values and legacy of Dr. Jimmie Holland. Dr. Manne trained with Dr. Holland at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. As a founding co-director of the Cancer Survivorship and Outcomes Center and an internationally recognized expert in psychological interventions for patients with cancer and their families, her work has transformed the way we understand and support the psychosocial needs of cancer survivors.

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ALLIANCE RESEARCH INTEGRITY SERVICE EXCELLENCE (CRP RISE) AWARD

Linda Bulone, RN, OCN, CCRC
Research Nurse Manager
Queens Hospital Cancer Center

Clinical research professional (CRP) staff are integral to the success of the Alliance mission, providing clinical trial participants with the best service possible at Alliance participating sites. In recognition of their outstandong service, the Alliance has introduced the annual Research Integrity Service Excellence (RISE) Award for CRPs. Alliance aims to celebrate site CRPs who exemplify excellence through quality, advocacy, professional development and leadership with compassion, integrity, respect, safety, and teamwork. This award is all about celebrating excellence in clinical research, and Lina Bulone embodies that spirit. Her exceptional commitment to patient care, dedication to professional growth, and leadership and advocacy efforts have made a real difference. She lives the values of quality, integrity, and teamwork every day, and her contributions have been vital in advancing Alliance clinical trials.

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CCP WORTA MCCASKILL-STEVENS, MD, MS SYMPOSIUM :: Thursday, November 6, 8 am-10 am









The CCP Education and Training Workgroup is excited to host its annual Worta McCaskill-Stevens, MD, MS Symposium, which provides both SOCRA and ONA continuing education credits. The 2025 symposium, “Change Makers Redefining Clinical Trials,” will be moderated by Matthew Banegas, PhD, a member of the sponsoring Cancer Control Program Committee and the planning committee for this session. The goal of this symposium is to encourage attendees to embrace change as an opportunity to advance important research. Speakers will share updates to accrual of congressionally mandated populations to clinical research, highlight successes achieved at an Alliance member institution, and discuss ways to engage and ensure that representative populations are accrued to clinical trials. Patient advocates will join invited speakers in an engaging panel discussion for the second half of the session.

Speakers include:
Electra D. Paskett, PhD - The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
"Accrual of Populations to Clinical Research: Updates to Congressional Mandates"

Peggy Kemeny, MD & Linda Bulone, RN, OCN, CCRC - Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Queens Hospital Cancer Center
"Creating a Cancer Research Center in a Public Hospital – Queens Hospital Cancer Center Experience"

Lucy Gansauer, MSN, RN, OCN, CCRP - SWOG Cancer Research Network
"How to Improve Clinical Trial Participation"

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CLINICAL RESEARCH PROFESSIONALS SESSIONS    

The CRP Information Session (Thursday, November 6, 8 am-11 am) will offer an array of specialized topics designed to enhance the expertise of clinical research professionals involved in oncology clinical trials. Jennifer Dill, CCRP, Chair of the Alliance Clinical Research Professionals Committee, kicks off the session, followed by a patient advocacy presentation on local cancer advocacy from Alliance Patient Advocate Committee members Vernal Branch (Vice Chair) and Ivis Sampayo. Branch brings extensive advocacy experience across multiple institutions, including UNC, NCORP, USC, and VCU/UVA, while Sampayo contributes insights from her work on the Stand Up 2 Cancer Disrupt grant and her commitment to advancing local advocacy. Colleen Watt, Director of Alliance Protocol Operations, will provide important study updates, followed by Alliance Group Statistician Sumithra Mandrekar, PhD, who will share perspectives on the history of the NCI Streamlining Clinical Trials Working Group, Alliance’s evolving approach to streamlining data collection, and strategies for ensuring data points directly support study goals. Building on this, Allison Booth, MS, and Lizzy Snow, MA, from the Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center will highlight real-world applications of Dr. Mandrekar's initiatives. The session will conclude with updates from the Cancer Trials Support Unit, presented by Rachel Albersahrdt. 

Clinical Research Professionals Education Session (Friday, November 7, 8 am-10 am)
Alliance CRP RISE Award recipient Linda Bulone, RN, OCN, CCRC, of Queens Hospital Cancer Center, will present "Clinical Research Professionals Best Practice" followed by an overview of the Alliance CRP Orientation Handbook by Darcie Findley, CCRC, CTMS and Data Services Manager at the University of Vermont Cancer Center, and Jacqueline Ansted, Clinical Trials Monitor at the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center. Fang-Shu Ou, PhD, Associate Professor of Biostatistics at Mayo Clinic, and Kristina Laumann, Operations Director at the Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center, will present an update on the study results from Alliance A021502 - Randomized trial of standard chemotherapy alone or combined with atezolizumab as adjuvant therapy for patients with stage III colon cancer and deficient DNA mismatch repair (ATOMIC: Adjuvant trial of deficient mismatch repair in  colon cancer).

CRP Breakout Sessions
Wednesday, November 5
1 pm-2 pm - BioMS 
2:30 pm-4:30 pm - FDA Inspection Readiness

Thursday, November 6
1 pm-2 pm - Site Strategies to Enhance Clinical Research Operations
2:30 pm-3:30 pm - Follow the Data: CRF Development and Back-End Process
4 pm-5 pm - Majority Rules: Airing Dirty Laundry Edition?

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ONCOLOGY NURSING + CLINICAL RESEARCH PROFESSIONALS

Thursday, November 6
3:30 pm-5:30 pm - Oncology Nursing Education Session
This session will feature presentations on bispecific monoclonal antibodies by Glenn Roma, PharmD, PhD, BCOP (Baptist Cancer Center), the ShortStop – HER2 study (Shortened duration of adjuvant therapy in patients with early-stage HER2+ breast cancer who achieve pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with HER2 blockade / Alliance A012303) from Study Chair Adrienne Waks, MD (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), and CTCAE v6.0: Updates and Impacts by Shanda Finnigan, MPH, RN, Associate Branch Chief for Infomnatics at the National Cancer Institute. 

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LESS PAPER, MORE POWER! 
"Harnessing Structured Data and Wearables in Real-World Cancer Research"
Thursday, November 6, 10:30 am-11:30 am
Attendees are invited to learn about the Alliance Data Innovation Lab projects and exciting updates at this interactive session. The DataLab has made incredible progress on its 2024 mCODE Special Projects Award and have innovative plans for automating the Beacon treatment plan through an Alliance-wide initiative, and will share information about upcoming new research using wearable devices. Also learn about its next initiative, ICAREdata-DIRECT: Transforming Clinical Trial Data Collection Using Innovative Methods Including Augmented Intelligence and changes to the Participant Engagement Portal. 

ICAREdata® is the comprehensive program powered by the Alliance Data Innovation Lab that aims to Integrate Clinical trials And Real-world Endpoints in oncology research. 

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ALLIANCE RESEARCH FOR EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATORS :: Thursday, November 6, 9:30 am-11 am
Previously known as the New Investigators Workshop, this 90-minute session has been redesigned to highlight essential aspects of the Alliance organization and promote opportunities that will enhance researchers in their early career.

Evanthia Galanis, MD (Group Chair, Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology) will provide opening remarks and an overview of the Alliance. The session will host an Investigator Panel offering key insights and first hand experiences from Ardaman Shergill, MD (Alliance Executive Officer) and Priscilla Brastianos, MD (Co-Chair of the Alliance Neuro-Oncology Committee). Following the panel, Sumithra Mandrekar, PhD (Alliance Group Statistician) and Kristina Laumann (Operations Director at the Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center) will present on "Things You Wish ECIs Knew About Stats and Data Management." All slides will be available after the session.

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ALLIANCE FOUNDATION TRIALS (AFT) SESSIONS
 
Thursday, November 6
9 am-10:30 am :: Alliance Foundation Trials (AFT) Overview and Updates
12 pm-1 pm :: CAMERA V-2/AFT-7
4 pm-5 pm :: AFT-65: ASCENT-05/OptimICE-RD
5 pm-6 pm :: AFT-66: CAMBRIA-2

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CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS  

RN, OCN, ARNP - ONA Credit - The Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) is the largest approver unit of CE credit in the country, accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Twelve (12) ONA contact hours will be offered. To receive ONA credit, attendees must complete a required survey e-mailed to them after the meeting.

CCRP - SoCRA Credit - The Society of Clinical Research Associates (SoCRA) provides training, continuing education, and an internationally recognized certification program that promotes quality clinical research to protect the welfare of research participants and improve global health. Thirty-nine (39) SOCRA credits will be offered. To receive SoCRA credit, attendees must complete a required survey e-mailed to them after the meeting.

For more information about continuing education credits, contact Katherine Stanaszek (Alliance Training and Adminsitrative Coordinator) at kstanaszek@alliancenctn.org

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