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  • Wednesday February 18, 2026

     

    7:30 am – 5:45 pm
    Courtyard                                                              		Exhibitors/Registration 
    7:00 am – 8:30 am
    Anaqua Garden Bar    		Breakfast 
    8:30 am – 9:00 am
    La Villita Ballroom 

    Welcome

    Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, MPH
    UT Health San Antonio

    Edward J. Trapido, ScD, FACE
    Louisiana State University

    Marcela Mazo Canola, MD
    UT Health San Antonio

    		 
    8:50 am – 9:00 am
    La Villita Ballroom

    In Memoriam Honoring Pelayo Correra, MD

    Luis F. Velez, MD
    UT Health San Antonio

    		 
    9:00 am – 9:15 am 
    La Villita Ballroom 

    A Special Welcome From Mays Cancer Center Executive Director 

    Lei Zheng, MD, PhD
    Mays Cancer Center

    		Lei Zheng
    9:15 am – 10:15 am
    La Villita Ballroom

    Keynote: Moving Forward and Staying the Course

    Robert A Winn, MD 
    Director and Lipman Chair in Oncology,
    VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, 
    Senior Associate Dean for Cancer Innovation and Professor of 
    Pulmonary Disease and Critical 
    Care Medicine, VCU School of Medicine

    		Robert Winn
    10:15 am – 10:30 am                        
    Courtyard      		Break/Exhibit 

    10:30 am – 11:45 pm 

    La Boveda

     

     

     













     



    Mission

     

    Concurrent Panels A & B

    Panel A (Pediatric Cancers) ~ Silent Crisis: "Why Children 
    are Falling Through the Cracks 
    of Pediatric Cancer Care in America."

    Adam De Smith, PhD
    University of Southern California 






    Jenny Ruiz, MD, MSCE
    University of Pittsburgh 







    Panel B (Aging and Cancer) ~ Navigating Cancer and Culture: 
    Transforming Geriatric Oncology Care for Patients

     

    Enrique Soto Perez de Celis, MD, PhD
    University of Colorado Cancer Center 






    Melody K. Schiaffino, PhD 
    University of California, San Diego




     

     

    Adam Smith PhD

     

    Jenny Ruiz





     


     

    Enrique Soto Perez de Celis

     

    Melody Schiaffino
    11:45 am – 12:00 pm
    Courtyard    		Break/Exhibit 
    12:00 pm – 12:45 pmLunch 
    12:45 pm – 1:00 pm
    Courtyard    		Break/Exhibit 
    1:00 pm – 2:20 pm
    La Villita Ballroom    		Plenary Session 1: Rising Tide of 
    Infection-Related Cancers


    Ana Patricia Jones, PhD, MPH
    University of Puerto Rico






    Luis Carvajal – Carmona, PhD
    University of California, Davis 





    Patricia D. Jones, MD 
    University of Miami 



     


     
     

    Ana Ortiz


    Luis Carvajal

    Patricia Jones

    2:20 pm – 3:40 pm
    La Villita Ballroom    		Plenary Session 2: Too Young, Too Soon: 
    Unmasking the Rise of Early-Onset Cancer

    Marcela Mazo Canola, MD
    UT Health San Antonio 





    Sukeshi Patel Arora, MD 
    UT Health San Antonio





    Narjust Florez, MD
    Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center

     

     

    Marcela Mazo Canola


    Sukeshi Patel Arora

    3:40 pm – 3:55 pm
    Courtyard    		Break/Exhibit 

    4:00 pm – 5:20pm 

    Mission




     

















     
     
     

    La Boveda

     

    Concurrent Panels C & D

    Panel C (Survivorship) ~ Juntos en la Lucha: Building a Future of Survivorship 
     

    Jean Edward, PhD, RN, CHPE
    University of Kentucky 





    Betina R. Yanez, PhD 
    Northwestern University 





    Frank Penedo, PhD
    University of Miami







    Panel D (Technology & Communication) ~ 
    Tech y Comunidad: Revolutionizing Cancer 
    Care Through Innovation & Connection

    Yonaira Rivera, PhD
    Rutgers 





    Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, MD, MSEd
    Massive Bio 





    Carmina G. Valle, PhD, MPH
    UNC Gillings School of Public Health


     

     

    Jean Edward


    Betina Yanez

    Frank Penedo







    Yonaira Rivera

    Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla

    Carmina Vale

    5:20pm – 5:30 pm
    Courtyard    		Break/Exhibit 
    5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
    La Villita Ballroom

    Early-Career Investigator Session

    Gustavo J. Almeida, PT, PhD
    UT Health San Antonio

    Yelba M. Castellon-Lopez, MD, MSHPM
    Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University

    Maira A. Castaneda-Avila, MS, PhD
    UMass Chan Medical School

    Sara Flores, PhD
    National Cancer Institute

    Cirila Estela Vazquez Guzman, PhD, MCR
    Oregon Health & Science University

    		 
  • Thursday February 19, 2026
    7:00 am – 6:00 pm
    Courtyard                                           		Exhibitors/Registration 
    7:00 am – 8:00 am
    Anaqua Garden Bar    		Breakfast 
    8:00 am – 8:30 am
    La Villita Ballroom

    Welcome

    Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, MPH
    UT Health San Antonio

    		 
    8:30 am – 9:30 am
    La Villita Ballroom    		Keynote: Bridging International and National Latino Research to Serve its Populations

    Mariana Chavez MacGregor, MD
    MD Anderson Cancer Center                                                                                                                                                  		Mariana Chavez MacGregor
    9:30 am – 9:45 amBreak/Exhibit 
    9:45 am – 11:05 am                         Session 3: The Genetic Gap: Why Biomarkers Matter 


    Jose Trevino, MD 
    Virginia Commonwealth University 





    Luis Raez, MD 
    Memorial Cancer Institute 





    Elad Ziv, MD
    UCSF Hellen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center 


     

    Jose Trevino


    Luis Raez

    Elad Ziv

    11:00 am – 11:30 pm 
    Courtyard             		Break/Exhibit/Reset  
    11:30 pm – 12:30 pm 
    Anaqua Garden Bar     		Lunch 
    12:30 pm – 1:50 pm 
    La Villita Ballroom     		Session 4: Emerging Voices, Evolving Science: From Innovation to Impact ¿Estamos Listos?

    Eliseo J. Perez-Stable, MD
    Former Director NIMHD & Professor Emeritus
    University California, San Francisco




    Alejandro Recio Boiles, MD, FACP
    University of Arizona






    Carmen E. Guerra, MD, MSCE, FACP
    University of Pennsylvania


     

    Elisero Perez
     

    Alejandro Recio Boiles

     

    Carmen Guerra
    1:50 pm – 2:05 pm 
    Courtyard     		Break/Exhibits  
    2:05 pm – 3:30 pm 
    La Villita Ballroom     		Session 5: Beyond the Barriers: From Law to Life

    Xuesong Han, PhD 
    American Cancer Society 





    Ramon Cancino, MD, MBA, FAAFP
    UT Health San Antonio





    Elena Rios, MD
    National Hispanic Health Foundation


     

    Xuesong Han


    Ramon Cancino

    Elena Rios

    3:30 pm – 3:45 pm 
    Courtyard     		Break/Exhibits  

    3:45 pm – 5:00 pm 

    La Boveda



     


     














     Mission

     

    Concurrent Panels E & F

    Panel E ~ Our Air, Our Water, Our Health: The Environmental Impact on Cancer Risk

    Leticia Nogueira, PhD, MPH 
    American Cancer Society 




    Roxana Chicas, PhD, RN, FAAN
    Emory University





    Martin De La Rosa
    San Antonio Firefighter Department

    Stephen Torres
    San Antonio Fire Department

    Panel F ~ Research and Patient Leadership

    Laura Ortiz - Ravick, MA
    Blood Cancer United




    Arnoldo Rodriguez
    Clinical Research as a Lifeline:
    Navigate Relapse and Remission
    Through Evidence-Based Care




    Karen Estrada
    An Odyssey to Diagnosis:
    AML Patient Experience from Treatment
    to Advocacy
     


     
     






     

    Laura Ortiz

     

    Arnoldo Rodriguez

     

    Karen Estrada
    5:00 pm – 5:30 pm 
    Courtyard     		Break/Exhibit/Reset  
    5:30 pm – 5:45 pm 
    La Villita Ballroom 

    Welcome to Poster Session 

    Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, MPH
    UT Health San Antonio

    		 
    5:45 pm – 8:00 pm 
    La Villita Ballroom     		Poster Session and Reception  
  • Friday February 20, 2026
    7:00 am – 12:30 pm
    Courtyard    		Exhibitors/Registration 
    7:00 am – 8:00 am
    Courtyard    		Breakfast 
    8:00 am – 8:45 am 
    La Villita Ballroom

    Welcome

    Amelia G. Ramirez, DrPH
    UT Health San Antonio

    		 
    8:45 am – 9:15 am
    La Villita Ballroom 

    Special Virtual Session featuring
    International Latin American Researchers

    Carolina Wiesner, MD
    Instituto Nacional de Cancerolgia de Colombia







     

    Oscar Arrieta, MD
    Instituto Nacional de Cancerologia de Mexico


     

     

    Carolina Wiesner



     

    Oscar Arrieta
    9:15am – 10:15 am
    La Villita Ballroom 

    Fireside Chat featuring Cancer Center Directors

    Ruben Mesa, MD
    Atrium University





    Carlos Arteaga, MD 
    UT Southwestern
     

     

     

    Robert A. Winn, MD
    VCU Massey Comprehensive 
    Cancer Center

     

     

    Lei Zheng, MD
    Mays Cancer Center


     

    Ruben Mesa


    Carlos Arteaga

    Robert Winn

    Lei Zheng

    10:15 am – 10:25 am
    La Villita Ballroom     		Think Tank: Latino Cancer Researchers Against Cancer

    Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, MPH
    UT Health San Antonio                                                                                                                                                          		Amelie Ramirez
    10:25 am – 12:00 pm
    La Villita Ballroom     		Industry Panel - New developments in
    Precision Medicine that
    Address Underrepresented and All Populations

    Angelica Acevedo
    Bristol Myers Squibb






    Meg McKenzie
    Genentech





    Sabrina Meyers
    Gilead





    Jesse Garcia
    Rev Med





    Angel Rodriguez, MD
    Natera





    Paris Johnson
    AstraZeneca


     

     

    Angelic Acevedo

     

    Meg McKenzie

     

    Sabrina Meyers

     

    Jesse Garcia

     

    Angel Rodriguez

     

    Paris Johnson
    12:00 pm – 12:15 pm
    La Villita Ballroom 

    Closing Remarks and Q&A

    Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, MPH
    UT Health San Antonio

    Edward J. Trapido, ScD, FACE
    Louisiana State University

    Marcela Mazo Canola, MD
    UT Health San Antonio