{ "site": { "name": "SWCES", "fullName": "Southwest Cancer Engineering Symposium", "year": "2026", "tagline": "Engineering. Cancer. Community.", "mission": "A regional symposium at the intersection of engineering, physical sciences, and cancer biology.", "eventDate": "November 6–7, 2026", "venue": "University of Arizona — Health Sciences Innovation Building (HSIB), Tucson AZ", "coHosts": [ "University of Arizona Cancer Center", "University of Arizona Biomedical Engineering" ], "contact": { "email": "info@swces.com", "address": "Tucson, AZ" }, "social": { "twitter": "@swces2026", "linkedin": "" } }, "mission": [ { "title": "Our Mission", "body": "SWCES convenes researchers, clinicians, trainees, and industry partners across the Southwest to advance cancer engineering — the application of engineering, physical sciences, and quantitative methods to understand, detect, prevent, and treat cancer.", "points": [ "Build durable collaborations between regional institutions", "Train the next generation of cancer engineers", "Translate regional research into clinical and commercial impact" ], "image": "Images/mission/swces-hero.png", "imageAlt": "SWCES community" }, { "title": "Our Format", "body": "Inaugural SWCES is intentionally intimate: ~150 attendees, 1.5 days, single track, with substantial discussion and trainee programming. Inspired by the Midwest Tumor Microenvironment Meeting and Gordon Research Conferences.", "points": [ "~150 attendees, GRC-style intimate format", "Single track, 25-minute invited talks with real Q&A", "Trainee-forward: travel awards, poster prizes, speed-mentoring" ], "image": "Images/mission/format.png", "imageAlt": "Conference format" }, { "title": "Next Location", "body": "SWCES 2026 takes place at the Health Sciences Innovation Building (HSIB) on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson. HSIB is a state-of-the-art facility with a 250-seat forum, flexible breakout spaces, and a mezzanine ideal for poster sessions and networking.", "points": [ "250-seat HSIB Forum — single-track sessions with full A/V", "Mezzanine level for poster sessions, breaks, and reception", "Adjacent to Banner-University Medical Center and the UA Cancer Center", "Tucson International Airport (TUS) — 15 minutes from campus" ], "image": "", "imageAlt": "", "mapEmbed": "https://www.google.com/maps/embed/v1/place?key=AIzaSyBFw0Qbyq9zTFTd-tUY6dZWTgaQzuU17R8&q=Health+Sciences+Innovation+Building,University+of+Arizona,Tucson+AZ&zoom=16" }, { "title": "Charter Region", "body": "The SWCES charter region is defined by Arizona and its border states — the natural research corridor of the Southwest. Speakers, attendees, and sponsors are welcome from anywhere.", "points": [ "Arizona — host state and symposium home base", "New Mexico · Utah · Nevada · Colorado · Southern California", "10 NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers across the region", "Established collaborations and shared research infrastructure" ], "image": "Images/mission/charter-region.svg", "imageAlt": "Map showing Arizona and its border states as the SWCES charter region" } ], "themes": { "intro": "SWCES 2026 spans six scientific themes at the engineering-cancer interface. Each theme is a session in the symposium program with invited speakers and abstract-driven trainee talks.", "topics": [ { "id": "mechanobiology", "title": "Mechanobiology of the Tumor Microenvironment", "summary": "ECM mechanics, tissue stiffness in cancer progression, cell mechanotransduction. A SWCES signature theme bridging physics and oncology.", "image": "Images/themes/mechanobiology.png", "keywords": ["ECM mechanics", "tissue stiffness", "mechanotransduction", "force microscopy"], "chair": { "name": "Dr. Rakesh Mehta", "affiliation": "Arizona State University" }, "speakers": [ { "name": "Dr. Sofia Castillo", "affiliation": "CU Boulder", "talkTitle": "Matrix Stiffness Gradients Drive Collective Invasion in Pancreatic Cancer" }, { "name": "Dr. James Nakamura", "affiliation": "UC San Diego", "talkTitle": "Piezo1 Mechanotransduction in Breast Cancer Dormancy" }, { "name": "Dr. Amara Williams", "affiliation": "University of New Mexico", "talkTitle": "Force Microscopy Reveals Stromal Remodeling in Colorectal Tumors" } ] }, { "id": "organoids", "title": "Tumor-on-Chip & Organoid Engineering", "summary": "Microfluidic cancer models, patient-derived organoids, co-culture systems. Strong charter-region presence at ASU, UCLA, and beyond.", "image": "Images/themes/organoids.png", "keywords": ["organ-on-chip", "patient-derived organoids", "microfluidics", "co-culture"], "chair": { "name": "Dr. Lisa Chen", "affiliation": "UCLA" }, "speakers": [ { "name": "Dr. Marco DeLuca", "affiliation": "Arizona State University", "talkTitle": "Vascularized Tumor-on-Chip for High-Throughput Drug Screening" }, { "name": "Dr. Priya Sharma", "affiliation": "University of Utah", "talkTitle": "Patient-Derived Pancreatic Organoids Predict Chemotherapy Response" }, { "name": "Dr. David Kim", "affiliation": "USC", "talkTitle": "Immune-Tumor Co-Culture Microfluidics for Checkpoint Inhibitor Screening" } ] }, { "id": "nanotech", "title": "Cancer Nanotechnology & Drug Delivery", "summary": "Engineered nanoparticles, targeted delivery, theranostics. Anchored by ASU Biodesign and the broader nano-oncology community.", "image": "Images/themes/nanotech.png", "keywords": ["nanoparticles", "targeted delivery", "theranostics", "nanomedicine"], "chair": { "name": "Dr. Nina Petrova", "affiliation": "ASU Biodesign Institute" }, "speakers": [ { "name": "Dr. Ahmed Hassan", "affiliation": "University of Arizona", "talkTitle": "Lipid Nanoparticle mRNA Delivery for Solid Tumor Immunotherapy" }, { "name": "Dr. Karen Whitfield", "affiliation": "UNLV", "talkTitle": "Gold Nanorod Photothermal Therapy in Deep Tissue Tumors" }, { "name": "Dr. Tomás Rivera", "affiliation": "University of New Mexico", "talkTitle": "Polymeric Nanoparticles for Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration in Brain Metastases" } ] }, { "id": "imaging-ai", "title": "Imaging & AI in Oncology", "summary": "Multi-scale imaging, radiomics, spatial transcriptomics analytics, AI for diagnosis and prediction.", "image": "Images/themes/imaging-ai.png", "keywords": ["radiomics", "spatial transcriptomics", "deep learning", "digital pathology"], "chair": { "name": "Dr. Rachel Park", "affiliation": "UCLA" }, "speakers": [ { "name": "Dr. Michael Torres", "affiliation": "University of Arizona", "talkTitle": "Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals Immune Architecture in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer" }, { "name": "Dr. Hannah Osei", "affiliation": "CU Anschutz Medical Campus", "talkTitle": "Deep Learning for Real-Time Surgical Margin Assessment" }, { "name": "Dr. Benjamin Lee", "affiliation": "UC San Diego", "talkTitle": "Radiomics Signatures for Immunotherapy Response Prediction in Melanoma" } ] }, { "id": "computational", "title": "Computational & Systems Oncology", "summary": "Multi-scale tumor models, digital twins, computational immuno-oncology, cancer systems biology.", "image": "Images/themes/computational.png", "keywords": ["tumor modeling", "digital twins", "systems biology", "immuno-oncology"], "chair": { "name": "Dr. Robert Aguilar", "affiliation": "University of New Mexico" }, "speakers": [ { "name": "Dr. Samantha Frost", "affiliation": "Arizona State University", "talkTitle": "Digital Twins for Personalized Radiation Therapy Planning" }, { "name": "Dr. Yuki Tanaka", "affiliation": "CU Boulder", "talkTitle": "Multi-Scale Agent-Based Models of Tumor-Immune Dynamics" }, { "name": "Dr. Laura Mitchell", "affiliation": "UNLV", "talkTitle": "Computational Immuno-Oncology: Predicting Neoantigen Immunogenicity" } ] }, { "id": "trainee", "title": "Trainee Showcase", "summary": "Selected oral presentations from submitted abstracts. A prestigious, not junior, track — featured speakers and trainee travel awards.", "image": "Images/themes/trainee.png", "keywords": ["trainee talks", "poster blitz", "travel awards", "career development"], "chair": { "name": "Dr. Elena Vásquez", "affiliation": "University of Arizona" }, "speakers": [ { "name": "Jordan Asher (PhD Student)", "affiliation": "UCLA", "talkTitle": "Mechanically Tunable Scaffolds for Cancer Stem Cell Enrichment" }, { "name": "Fatima Al-Rashidi (PhD Student)", "affiliation": "Arizona State University", "talkTitle": "AI-Guided Nanoparticle Design for Glioblastoma" }, { "name": "Sam Okonkwo (Postdoc)", "affiliation": "CU Denver", "talkTitle": "Organ-on-Chip Modeling of Bone Metastasis Microenvironment" } ] } ] }, "program": { "intro": "SWCES 2026 is a 1.5-day, single-track symposium. All sessions take place in the Health Sciences Innovation Building (HSIB), University of Arizona, Tucson.", "status": "confirmed", "days": [ { "label": "Friday, November 6", "date": "2026-11-06", "blocks": [ { "time": "7:30 – 8:30 AM", "title": "Registration & Continental Breakfast", "type": "break", "location": "HSIB Lobby & Mezzanine", "description": "Pick up your badge and program. Coffee, pastries, and fresh fruit provided." }, { "time": "8:30 – 8:45 AM", "title": "Welcome & Opening Remarks", "type": "ceremony", "location": "HSIB Forum", "description": "Alex McGhee, General Chair — University of Arizona BME" }, { "time": "8:45 – 9:45 AM", "title": "Keynote Address", "type": "keynote", "location": "HSIB Forum", "speaker": { "name": "Dr. Valeria Espinoza", "affiliation": "UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center", "talkTitle": "Engineering the Next Decade of Cancer Immunotherapy", "photo": "" } }, { "time": "9:45 – 10:15 AM", "title": "Coffee Break & Poster Viewing (Odd Numbers)", "type": "break", "location": "HSIB Mezzanine" }, { "time": "10:15 AM – 12:00 PM", "title": "Session 1 — Mechanobiology of the TME", "type": "session", "themeId": "mechanobiology", "location": "HSIB Forum", "chair": "Dr. Rakesh Mehta, Arizona State University", "talks": [ { "time": "10:15 AM", "speaker": "Dr. Sofia Castillo", "affiliation": "CU Boulder", "talkTitle": "Matrix Stiffness Gradients Drive Collective Invasion in Pancreatic Cancer" }, { "time": "10:45 AM", "speaker": "Dr. James Nakamura", "affiliation": "UC San Diego", "talkTitle": "Piezo1 Mechanotransduction in Breast Cancer Dormancy" }, { "time": "11:15 AM", "speaker": "Dr. Amara Williams", "affiliation": "University of New Mexico", "talkTitle": "Force Microscopy Reveals Stromal Remodeling in Colorectal Tumors" }, { "time": "11:40 AM", "speaker": "Maria Gonzalez (Trainee Talk)", "affiliation": "University of Arizona", "talkTitle": "Hydrogel-Based Models of ECM Stiffening in Glioblastoma" } ] }, { "time": "12:00 – 1:15 PM", "title": "Lunch & NCI Funding Workshop", "type": "break", "location": "HSIB Mezzanine", "description": "Boxed lunch provided. NCI program officer Dr. Patricia Weeks presents funding mechanisms relevant to cancer engineering." }, { "time": "1:15 – 3:00 PM", "title": "Session 2 — Tumor-on-Chip & Organoid Engineering", "type": "session", "themeId": "organoids", "location": "HSIB Forum", "chair": "Dr. Lisa Chen, UCLA", "talks": [ { "time": "1:15 PM", "speaker": "Dr. Marco DeLuca", "affiliation": "Arizona State University", "talkTitle": "Vascularized Tumor-on-Chip for High-Throughput Drug Screening" }, { "time": "1:45 PM", "speaker": "Dr. Priya Sharma", "affiliation": "University of Utah", "talkTitle": "Patient-Derived Pancreatic Organoids Predict Chemotherapy Response" }, { "time": "2:15 PM", "speaker": "Dr. David Kim", "affiliation": "USC", "talkTitle": "Immune-Tumor Co-Culture Microfluidics for Checkpoint Inhibitor Screening" }, { "time": "2:40 PM", "speaker": "Ryan Blackwell (Trainee Talk)", "affiliation": "CU Denver", "talkTitle": "3D-Printed Microfluidic Arrays for High-Throughput Organoid Analysis" } ] }, { "time": "3:00 – 3:30 PM", "title": "Coffee Break & Poster Viewing (Even Numbers)", "type": "break", "location": "HSIB Mezzanine" }, { "time": "3:30 – 5:15 PM", "title": "Session 3 — Cancer Nanotechnology & Drug Delivery", "type": "session", "themeId": "nanotech", "location": "HSIB Forum", "chair": "Dr. Nina Petrova, ASU Biodesign Institute", "talks": [ { "time": "3:30 PM", "speaker": "Dr. Ahmed Hassan", "affiliation": "University of Arizona", "talkTitle": "Lipid Nanoparticle mRNA Delivery for Solid Tumor Immunotherapy" }, { "time": "4:00 PM", "speaker": "Dr. Karen Whitfield", "affiliation": "UNLV", "talkTitle": "Gold Nanorod Photothermal Therapy in Deep Tissue Tumors" }, { "time": "4:30 PM", "speaker": "Dr. Tomás Rivera", "affiliation": "University of New Mexico", "talkTitle": "Polymeric Nanoparticles for Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration in Brain Metastases" }, { "time": "4:55 PM", "speaker": "Chen Wei (Trainee Talk)", "affiliation": "Arizona State University", "talkTitle": "Exosome-Mimetic Nanovesicles for Targeted Drug Delivery" } ] }, { "time": "5:15 – 6:30 PM", "title": "Poster Session & Networking Reception", "type": "social", "location": "HSIB Mezzanine", "description": "All posters on display. Poster blitz presentations (1 min each) by trainee award nominees. Appetizers and drinks provided." }, { "time": "7:00 PM", "title": "Conference Dinner", "type": "social", "location": "Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails — Downtown Tucson", "description": "Three-course dinner for registered attendees. Keynote speaker, session chairs, and sponsors invited. Live music and desert views." } ] }, { "label": "Saturday, November 7 (Half Day)", "date": "2026-11-07", "blocks": [ { "time": "7:30 – 8:15 AM", "title": "Breakfast & Morning Walk", "type": "break", "location": "HSIB Lobby", "description": "Optional guided walk on the UA campus. Full breakfast available for all attendees." }, { "time": "8:15 – 10:00 AM", "title": "Session 4 — Imaging & AI in Oncology", "type": "session", "themeId": "imaging-ai", "location": "HSIB Forum", "chair": "Dr. Rachel Park, UCLA", "talks": [ { "time": "8:15 AM", "speaker": "Dr. Michael Torres", "affiliation": "University of Arizona", "talkTitle": "Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals Immune Architecture in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer" }, { "time": "8:45 AM", "speaker": "Dr. Hannah Osei", "affiliation": "CU Anschutz Medical Campus", "talkTitle": "Deep Learning for Real-Time Surgical Margin Assessment" }, { "time": "9:15 AM", "speaker": "Dr. Benjamin Lee", "affiliation": "UC San Diego", "talkTitle": "Radiomics Signatures for Immunotherapy Response Prediction in Melanoma" }, { "time": "9:40 AM", "speaker": "Anika Patel (Trainee Talk)", "affiliation": "University of Utah", "talkTitle": "Graph Neural Networks for Digital Pathology of Lung Adenocarcinoma" } ] }, { "time": "10:00 – 10:30 AM", "title": "Coffee Break", "type": "break", "location": "HSIB Mezzanine" }, { "time": "10:30 AM – 12:15 PM", "title": "Session 5 — Computational & Systems Oncology", "type": "session", "themeId": "computational", "location": "HSIB Forum", "chair": "Dr. Robert Aguilar, University of New Mexico", "talks": [ { "time": "10:30 AM", "speaker": "Dr. Samantha Frost", "affiliation": "Arizona State University", "talkTitle": "Digital Twins for Personalized Radiation Therapy Planning" }, { "time": "11:00 AM", "speaker": "Dr. Yuki Tanaka", "affiliation": "CU Boulder", "talkTitle": "Multi-Scale Agent-Based Models of Tumor-Immune Dynamics" }, { "time": "11:30 AM", "speaker": "Dr. Laura Mitchell", "affiliation": "UNLV", "talkTitle": "Computational Immuno-Oncology: Predicting Neoantigen Immunogenicity" }, { "time": "11:55 AM", "speaker": "Diego Morales (Trainee Talk)", "affiliation": "University of Arizona", "talkTitle": "Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Tumor Growth Prediction" } ] }, { "time": "12:15 – 12:45 PM", "title": "Trainee Showcase — Selected Oral Presentations", "type": "session", "themeId": "trainee", "location": "HSIB Forum", "chair": "Dr. Elena Vásquez, University of Arizona", "talks": [ { "time": "12:15 PM", "speaker": "Jordan Asher", "affiliation": "UCLA", "talkTitle": "Mechanically Tunable Scaffolds for Cancer Stem Cell Enrichment" }, { "time": "12:25 PM", "speaker": "Fatima Al-Rashidi", "affiliation": "Arizona State University", "talkTitle": "AI-Guided Nanoparticle Design for Glioblastoma" }, { "time": "12:35 PM", "speaker": "Sam Okonkwo", "affiliation": "CU Denver", "talkTitle": "Organ-on-Chip Modeling of Bone Metastasis Microenvironment" } ] }, { "time": "12:45 – 1:15 PM", "title": "Panel — The Future of Cancer Engineering in the Southwest", "type": "panel", "location": "HSIB Forum", "description": "Session chairs and keynote speaker discuss emerging opportunities and cross-institution collaboration. Moderated by Alex McGhee." }, { "time": "1:15 – 1:30 PM", "title": "Awards Ceremony & Closing Remarks", "type": "ceremony", "location": "HSIB Forum", "description": "Best poster awards and trainee travel awards." }, { "time": "1:30 PM", "title": "Boxed Lunch & Departure", "type": "break", "location": "HSIB Lobby", "description": "Grab-and-go lunch provided for all attendees. Safe travels!" } ] } ] }, "members": { "intro": "The SWCES community brings together researchers, clinicians, and trainees from across the Southwest. Browse by leadership role or filter by institution to find connections.", "people": [ { "id": "alex-mcghee", "name": "Alex McGhee, PhD", "role": "General Chair", "group": "organizing", "bio": "Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona. Research focuses on engineering in vitro models of the tumor microenvironment to study the biomechanical mechanisms driving cancer metastasis.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "University of Arizona", "department": "Biomedical Engineering", "lab": "McGhee Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Collagen Fiber Architecture Regulates Tumor Cell Invasion Through Matrix Stiffness Gradients", "journal": "Biomaterials", "year": "2025", "url": "" }, { "title": "Microfluidic Models of the Breast Tumor Microenvironment for Drug Screening", "journal": "Lab on a Chip", "year": "2024", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "", "linkedin": "", "googleScholar": "", "website": "https://mcgheelab.github.io" } }, { "id": "elena-vasquez", "name": "Dr. Elena Vásquez", "role": "Program Chair", "group": "organizing", "bio": "Associate Professor of Cancer Biology at the University of Arizona Cancer Center. Studies the intersection of tumor immunology and bioengineering with a focus on the immune-suppressive microenvironment.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "University of Arizona", "department": "Cancer Biology", "lab": "Vásquez Immuno-Engineering Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Engineering Immune-Competent Tumor Organoids for Immunotherapy Screening", "journal": "Nature Biomedical Engineering", "year": "2025", "url": "" }, { "title": "Spatial Mapping of T-Cell Exhaustion in the Tumor Microenvironment", "journal": "Cancer Research", "year": "2024", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "", "linkedin": "", "googleScholar": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "daniel-reyes", "name": "Daniel Reyes", "role": "Local Arrangements Chair", "group": "organizing", "bio": "Director of Events for UA Health Sciences. 15 years of experience planning medical and scientific conferences at the University of Arizona.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "University of Arizona", "department": "Health Sciences Events", "lab": "", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [], "social": { "linkedin": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "sarah-chen-wu", "name": "Dr. Sarah Chen-Wu", "role": "Communications & Trainee Chair", "group": "organizing", "bio": "Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona. Early-career faculty focused on cancer nanotechnology education and broadening participation in STEM.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "University of Arizona", "department": "Biomedical Engineering", "lab": "Chen-Wu Nanomedicine Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Nanoparticle-Based Contrast Agents for Tumor-Specific MRI", "journal": "ACS Nano", "year": "2025", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "", "googleScholar": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "valeria-espinoza", "name": "Dr. Valeria Espinoza", "role": "Keynote Speaker", "group": "speakers", "bio": "Professor of Bioengineering and Immunology at UCLA. Pioneering work in engineered T-cell therapies and synthetic immunology for solid tumors. Member, National Academy of Engineering.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "UCLA", "department": "Bioengineering", "lab": "Espinoza Lab for Cancer Immunoengineering", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Synthetic Cytokine Circuits Enhance CAR-T Persistence in Solid Tumors", "journal": "Nature", "year": "2026", "url": "" }, { "title": "Biomaterial Scaffolds for Localized Immunotherapy Delivery", "journal": "Science Translational Medicine", "year": "2025", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "", "googleScholar": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "rakesh-mehta", "name": "Dr. Rakesh Mehta", "role": "Session Chair — Mechanobiology", "group": "session-chairs", "bio": "Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Arizona State University. Expert in cell biomechanics, mechanotransduction, and the physical biology of cancer invasion.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "Arizona State University", "department": "Mechanical Engineering", "lab": "Mehta Mechanobiology Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Viscoelastic Properties of Tumor-Associated Collagen Regulate Cancer Cell Migration", "journal": "Biophysical Journal", "year": "2025", "url": "" } ], "social": { "googleScholar": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "lisa-chen", "name": "Dr. Lisa Chen", "role": "Session Chair — Organoids", "group": "session-chairs", "bio": "Associate Professor of Bioengineering at UCLA. Lab develops patient-derived organoid and organ-on-chip technologies for personalized oncology.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "UCLA", "department": "Bioengineering", "lab": "Chen Organoid Engineering Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Multi-Organ Tumor-on-Chip Recapitulates Metastatic Cascade In Vitro", "journal": "Nature Methods", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "nina-petrova", "name": "Dr. Nina Petrova", "role": "Session Chair — Nanotechnology", "group": "session-chairs", "bio": "Professor at the ASU Biodesign Institute. Research in engineered nanoparticles for drug delivery and theranostic applications in cancer.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "Arizona State University", "department": "Biodesign Institute", "lab": "Petrova Nanomedicine Group", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Stimuli-Responsive Nanocarriers for Tumor-Targeted Drug Release", "journal": "Advanced Materials", "year": "2025", "url": "" } ], "social": { "googleScholar": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "rachel-park", "name": "Dr. Rachel Park", "role": "Session Chair — Imaging & AI", "group": "session-chairs", "bio": "Associate Professor at UCLA Department of Radiology. Develops AI and computational imaging methods for cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment response prediction.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "UCLA", "department": "Radiology", "lab": "Park AI-Imaging Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Foundation Models for Pan-Cancer Histopathology Classification", "journal": "Nature Medicine", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "", "googleScholar": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "robert-aguilar", "name": "Dr. Robert Aguilar", "role": "Session Chair — Computational Oncology", "group": "session-chairs", "bio": "Professor of Computer Science and Cancer Biology at the University of New Mexico. Specializes in computational modeling of tumor evolution and treatment resistance.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "University of New Mexico", "department": "Computer Science / Cancer Biology", "lab": "Aguilar Computational Oncology Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Evolutionary Game Theory Predicts Chemoresistance Dynamics in Heterogeneous Tumors", "journal": "PNAS", "year": "2025", "url": "" } ], "social": { "googleScholar": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "sofia-castillo", "name": "Dr. Sofia Castillo", "role": "Invited Speaker", "group": "speakers", "bio": "Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at CU Boulder. Studies how ECM mechanical properties influence collective cancer cell migration.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "CU Boulder", "department": "Chemical & Biological Engineering", "lab": "Castillo Matrix Mechanics Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Matrix Stiffness Gradients Drive Collective Invasion in Pancreatic Cancer", "journal": "Nature Cell Biology", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "james-nakamura", "name": "Dr. James Nakamura", "role": "Invited Speaker", "group": "speakers", "bio": "Associate Professor of Bioengineering at UC San Diego. Research on mechanosensitive ion channels in cancer dormancy and reactivation.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "UC San Diego", "department": "Bioengineering", "lab": "Nakamura Mechanosensing Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Piezo1 Mechanotransduction in Breast Cancer Dormancy", "journal": "Cell", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "googleScholar": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "marco-deluca", "name": "Dr. Marco DeLuca", "role": "Invited Speaker", "group": "speakers", "bio": "Associate Professor at ASU School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering. Develops vascularized organ-on-chip devices for cancer drug testing.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "Arizona State University", "department": "Biological & Health Systems Engineering", "lab": "DeLuca Microfluidics Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Vascularized Tumor-on-Chip for High-Throughput Drug Screening", "journal": "Lab on a Chip", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "website": "" } }, { "id": "ahmed-hassan", "name": "Dr. Ahmed Hassan", "role": "Invited Speaker", "group": "speakers", "bio": "Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Arizona. Research in lipid nanoparticle engineering for mRNA-based cancer immunotherapy.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "University of Arizona", "department": "Pharmaceutical Sciences", "lab": "Hassan Nanotherapy Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Lipid Nanoparticle mRNA Delivery for Solid Tumor Immunotherapy", "journal": "ACS Nano", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "googleScholar": "" } }, { "id": "michael-torres", "name": "Dr. Michael Torres", "role": "Invited Speaker", "group": "speakers", "bio": "Associate Professor at UA Cancer Center. Applies spatial transcriptomics and multiplexed imaging to map the tumor immune microenvironment.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "University of Arizona", "department": "Cancer Biology / UACC", "lab": "Torres Spatial Oncology Lab", "piMentor": "" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals Immune Architecture in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer", "journal": "Nature Communications", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "", "website": "" } }, { "id": "maria-gonzalez", "name": "Maria Gonzalez", "role": "Trainee Speaker", "group": "trainees", "bio": "3rd-year PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arizona (McGhee Lab). Studies hydrogel-based models of ECM stiffening in brain tumors.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "University of Arizona", "department": "Biomedical Engineering", "lab": "McGhee Lab", "piMentor": "Alex McGhee" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Hydrogel-Based Models of ECM Stiffening in Glioblastoma", "journal": "Abstract — SWCES 2026", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "linkedin": "" } }, { "id": "ryan-blackwell", "name": "Ryan Blackwell", "role": "Trainee Speaker", "group": "trainees", "bio": "4th-year PhD student at CU Denver in Bioengineering. Develops 3D-printed microfluidic platforms for organoid culture and analysis.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "CU Denver", "department": "Bioengineering", "lab": "BioMEMS Lab", "piMentor": "Dr. Lisa Chen" }, "papers": [ { "title": "3D-Printed Microfluidic Arrays for High-Throughput Organoid Analysis", "journal": "Abstract — SWCES 2026", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "", "linkedin": "" } }, { "id": "chen-wei", "name": "Chen Wei", "role": "Trainee Speaker", "group": "trainees", "bio": "Postdoctoral researcher at Arizona State University (Petrova Group). Engineering exosome-mimetic nanovesicles for targeted cancer drug delivery.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "Arizona State University", "department": "Biodesign Institute", "lab": "Petrova Nanomedicine Group", "piMentor": "Dr. Nina Petrova" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Exosome-Mimetic Nanovesicles for Targeted Drug Delivery", "journal": "Abstract — SWCES 2026", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "googleScholar": "" } }, { "id": "anika-patel", "name": "Anika Patel", "role": "Trainee Speaker", "group": "trainees", "bio": "2nd-year PhD student in Computer Science at the University of Utah. Applies graph neural networks to digital pathology for improved lung cancer diagnosis.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "University of Utah", "department": "Computer Science", "lab": "Computational Pathology Group", "piMentor": "Dr. Priya Sharma" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Graph Neural Networks for Digital Pathology of Lung Adenocarcinoma", "journal": "Abstract — SWCES 2026", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "linkedin": "" } }, { "id": "diego-morales", "name": "Diego Morales", "role": "Trainee Speaker", "group": "trainees", "bio": "5th-year PhD student in Applied Mathematics at the University of Arizona. Develops physics-informed neural networks for predictive tumor growth modeling.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "University of Arizona", "department": "Applied Mathematics", "lab": "Mathematical Oncology Group", "piMentor": "Dr. Elena Vásquez" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Tumor Growth Prediction", "journal": "Abstract — SWCES 2026", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "googleScholar": "" } }, { "id": "jordan-asher", "name": "Jordan Asher", "role": "Trainee Speaker", "group": "trainees", "bio": "4th-year PhD student in Bioengineering at UCLA. Research on mechanically tunable scaffolds for enriching and studying cancer stem cell populations.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "UCLA", "department": "Bioengineering", "lab": "Chen Organoid Engineering Lab", "piMentor": "Dr. Lisa Chen" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Mechanically Tunable Scaffolds for Cancer Stem Cell Enrichment", "journal": "Abstract — SWCES 2026", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "" } }, { "id": "fatima-al-rashidi", "name": "Fatima Al-Rashidi", "role": "Trainee Speaker", "group": "trainees", "bio": "3rd-year PhD student at Arizona State University. Uses machine learning to guide rational nanoparticle design for glioblastoma treatment.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "Arizona State University", "department": "Biodesign Institute", "lab": "Petrova Nanomedicine Group", "piMentor": "Dr. Nina Petrova" }, "papers": [ { "title": "AI-Guided Nanoparticle Design for Glioblastoma", "journal": "Abstract — SWCES 2026", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "linkedin": "" } }, { "id": "sam-okonkwo", "name": "Sam Okonkwo", "role": "Trainee Speaker", "group": "trainees", "bio": "Postdoctoral researcher at CU Denver. Builds organ-on-chip models to study the bone metastasis microenvironment and drug resistance mechanisms.", "photo": "", "association": { "university": "CU Denver", "department": "Bioengineering", "lab": "BioMEMS Lab", "piMentor": "Dr. Robert Aguilar" }, "papers": [ { "title": "Organ-on-Chip Modeling of Bone Metastasis Microenvironment", "journal": "Abstract — SWCES 2026", "year": "2026", "url": "" } ], "social": { "twitter": "", "linkedin": "" } } ], "groups": [ { "id": "organizing", "title": "Organizing Committee", "description": "UA-based team executing SWCES 2026." }, { "id": "steering", "title": "Steering Committee", "description": "Multi-institution governing body. 7–9 members across charter-region institutions." }, { "id": "session-chairs", "title": "Session Chairs", "description": "Senior faculty moderating each scientific session." }, { "id": "speakers", "title": "Invited Speakers", "description": "Confirmed invited and keynote speakers." }, { "id": "trainees", "title": "Trainee Speakers", "description": "Graduate students and postdocs selected for oral presentations." } ], "institutions": [ "University of Arizona", "Arizona State University", "UCLA", "UC San Diego", "USC", "University of New Mexico", "CU Boulder", "CU Anschutz Medical Campus", "CU Denver", "University of Utah", "UNLV" ] }, "updates": { "intro": "Announcements, milestones, and news from the SWCES community." }, "calls": { "intro": "Open calls for abstracts, travel awards, and sponsorship.", "active": [ { "title": "Call for Abstracts", "type": "abstracts", "deadline": "August 15, 2026", "opensDate": "July 1, 2026", "description": "Submit a 250-word abstract in any cancer engineering area. Accepted abstracts will be assigned to poster or oral presentation.", "details": [ "Open to all career stages — faculty, postdocs, graduate students, undergraduates", "Trainee abstracts eligible for oral presentation in the Trainee Showcase", "Abstracts reviewed by Session Chairs and Organizing Committee", "Notification of acceptance by September 1, 2026" ], "link": "", "linkLabel": "Submit Abstract" }, { "title": "Trainee Travel Awards", "type": "travel", "deadline": "August 15, 2026", "opensDate": "Embedded in abstract submission", "description": "$500 awards for approximately 10 trainees from charter-region institutions. Priority for first-time presenters and underrepresented minorities.", "details": [ "Must be enrolled at a charter-region institution (AZ, NM, S. CA, NV, UT, CO)", "Must submit an abstract for poster or oral presentation", "Priority given to first-time conference presenters", "Funded by NIH R13 and institutional sponsors" ], "link": "", "linkLabel": "Apply with Abstract" }, { "title": "Industry Sponsorship", "type": "sponsorship", "deadline": "Rolling — contracts close August 15, 2026", "opensDate": "Now", "description": "Five sponsorship tiers plus a-la-carte add-ons. Quality-of-access focus for an intimate 150-person audience of cancer engineering researchers.", "details": [ "Presenting, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers", "Benefits include exhibit space, program recognition, and complimentary registrations", "A-la-carte options: session sponsorship, poster prizes, conference dinner, lanyards", "Contact info@swces.com for the full prospectus" ], "link": "", "linkLabel": "Request Prospectus" } ] } }