Upcoming Programs and Events

Dr. Katja Klausz Division of Antibody-Based Immunotherapy; Department of Internal Medicine II University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein – Kiel Campus Title: "Targeting B Cell Neoplasia: Development and Pre-Clinical Evaluation of Novel Antibody-Based Immunotherapies" Hosted by Jing Fu, PhD and Suzanne Lentzsch, MD, PhD. This event is sponsored by the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center's (HICCC) Edward P. Evans Center for Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) at Columbia University, established to foster an all-encompassing approach in studying MDS giving us molecular, cellular genetic and epigenetic insights to develop and test innovative therapies.

G&D Departmental Seminar "Macrophage Niches in Development and Cancer: How Tumors Hijack Physiological Support Systems" Yibin Kang, PhD Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Molecular Biology Department of Molecular Biology Princeton University   Tuesday, March 10 @ 4PM   HHSC 312 701 W. 168th Street Hosted by Dr. Gerard Karsenty

The Herbert and Florence Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics will continue its seminar series on the topic of mathematical sciences underpinning cancer research. The monthly seminars take place on the second Wednesday of the month, 2:00-3:00 PM EST. The presentations are open to the Columbia community (in person and online) and to researchers outside Columbia (via Zoom). On Wednesday, March 11th (2:00 PM ET), IICD welcomes Dr. Maria Brbic from EFPL. Seminar hosted by Dr. Simon Tavaré. The seminar will take place virtually. If you wish to attend the seminar, please register using the following link: https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/meeting/register/uf8WKN1ZRbiHKd5jiGusqA Title: Linking Cellular Modalities with Generative AI Abstract: We are witnessing an AI revolution. At the heart of this revolution are generative AI models that, powered by advanced architectures and large datasets, are transforming AI across a variety of disciplines. But how can AI facilitate and eventually enable discoveries in life sciences? How can it bring us closer to understanding biology, the functions of our cells and relationships across different molecular layers? In this talk, I will introduce generative AI methods designed to uncover relationships across different omics layers. I will demonstrate how these approaches enable the reassembly of tissues from dissociated single cells and how they can help us to understand the relationship between cellular morphology and transcriptomic profiles. Finally, I will present an evaluation framework that disentangles perturbation-specific effects from systematic variation. Bio: Maria Brbić is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Life Sciences at EPFL. Her research bridges AI and biology, focusing on developing new AI methods that drive advances in biology and biomedicine. Maria received her Ph.D. from University of Zagreb in 2019, earning an Outstanding Thesis Award. During her PhD, she also conducted research at Stanford University as a Fulbright Scholar and University of Tokyo. Prior to joining the EPFL faculty in 2022, Maria was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University. Among other recognitions and awards, she was named a Rising Star in EECS by MIT in 2021, she received an Early Career Award by SIB in 2023 and she was awarded with the SNSF Starting Grant in 2024. Maria is a CIFAR Fellow in the Multiscale Human Program.

The Irving Institute for Cancer Dynamics will host a half-day symposium on artificial intelligence and cancer research on Monday, March 16, 2026. The symposium will highlight recent advances in the application of AI and similar technologies to cancer research. The program will feature four short presentations from leading researchers in the field, followed by a keynote address by Professor Dana Pe’er, Chair of the Computational and Systems Biology Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The event will conclude with a networking reception. The symposium is open to Columbia faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, and students interested in the intersection of AI and cancer research. Researchers from the New York City area are also welcome to join. Attendance is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis with registration. Registration Link: https://IICDSymposium_Next_Generation_Cancer_Research_AI_Computation.eventbrite.com Check-in begins 30 minutes before the event and early arrival is suggested. We expect to be able to accommodate standby guests at the door. Photography and/or video will be taken during the symposium for promotional and archival purposes. When registering for this event, you give Columbia University in the City of New York the right to use your image for said purposes. Details: https://bit.ly/IICDSymposium_AI_Cancer