COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY CONFERENCE
MECHANISMS AND MODELS OF CANCER
August 13-17, 2024
Recent years have produced transformative discoveries that have revealed the
mechanisms behind the development and progression of cancer, both from the perspective of the
cancer cell and the host response. These advances have resulted in targeted cancer therapies
that have extended patient survival, as well as new immunotherapies that have, in some cases,
resulted in cures of previously intractable malignancies. Stunning technological developments
have enabled us to interrogate the cancer genome and epigenome with unprecedented depth
and sophistication, uncovering the challenges that tumor heterogeneity imposes for cancer
therapy, while also enabling more accurate therapeutic monitoring. Advances in functional
genomic technologies allow us to turn oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes on an off at will in
vitro and in vivo to determine their function. Tumor models, such as organoids, have been
developed, revealing new insights into cancer cell biology, while also enabling the rapid
identification and testing of new therapeutics. With advances in structural biology, we can
examine the three-dimensional structure of oncogenic proteins and protein complexes, facilitating
development of small molecule inhibitors or antagonistic antibodies. Powerful strategies also
allow us to interrogate how metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, opening up the possibility
of novel therapeutic approaches that exploit metabolic vulnerabilities. Improvements in
computational biology are yielding new insights into biological networks and tumor evolution.
Dissemination and use of these technologies, models and mechanism-based approaches in this
fast-moving field is greatly facilitated by meetings that bring investigators together to present and
openly discuss their latest unpublished research findings. We also need to train the next
generation of leaders in the field, and an essential part of this process is this fantastic opportunity
for young investigators, such as graduate students and postdocs, to present their work and
interact one-on-one with senior investigators. The Mechanisms and Models of Cancer meeting at
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is one of the premier vehicles for promoting the next
intellectual leaps in cancer research and propelling the field into the future to the benefit of cancer
patients. The precise scope of the individual sessions will be decided on the basis of the openly
submitted abstracts. Each session will be chaired by two established scientists in the field, who
will establish the format of each session based on submitted abstracts. The chairs will introduce
and give an overview of the topics in their sessions and a brief update on their own research.
Particular emphasis will be given to promoting the active participation of graduate students,
postdoctoral fellows and new investigators, as well as of leading scientists in the field. Three
leading experts in diverse areas of cancer biology will deliver keynote addresses during the
conference. It is anticipated that the meeting will provide unique opportunities for the exchange
of data and ideas by both junior and senior investigators in different areas of research as they
apply to many aspects of carcinogenesis. Given the success of past meetings held at CSHL on
this topic between 1996 and 2022, we anticipate the attendance of about 400 scientists from
laboratories around the world.