Systems Approaches to Cancer Biology Meeting

SUMMARY The Systems Approaches to Cancer Biology (SACB) meeting aims to bring together scientific leaders and early-stage investigators in Cancer Systems Biology to build and foster a thriving and collaborative field through sharing scientific advances. Started as a grassroots effort from early-stage Cancer Systems Biology

investigators, the first SACB meeting was held in 2016 and is held every other year. SACB has previously been co-sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the Association for Cancer Systems Biologists (ACSB). The meeting is solely focused on research topics that address cancer as inherently complex, with

spatial, temporal, and interpatient heterogeneity, and with multifactorial causes and consequences that cannot be understood without integrating diverse approaches from a combination of traditional scientific disciplines. The SACB meeting consists of seven plenary sessions, poster sessions, and many opportunities for early-

stage investigators to network and gain mentorship from more senior investigators, including “meet the PI” lunches and happy hours. SACB plenary sessions focus on many aspects of cancer biology and cover a diversity of computational/mathematical modeling approaches. This problem-domain-focused programming is

particularly conducive to the synthesis of new ideas and collaborations among attendees. Given the history of this meeting, there is a strong emphasis on the development and fostering of early-stage investigators, which includes at least half of the oral presentations being given by trainees and addressing topics of interest to

early-stage investigators through special topic sessions. Another focus of the meeting is to grow the Cancer Systems Biology community, which we will accomplish by targeting underserved research communities, reaching out to researchers in complementary topic areas, such as computer science or engineering, as well

as funding support for investigators with additional family needs. The SACB Scholars program, initiated in 2022, will support at least 8 undergraduate and/or graduate trainees from under-represented groups in biomedical research to attend the SACB 2024 meeting. This program in 2022 was highly successful and is

aimed at providing training and networking opportunities to individuals that might not be able to gain these experiences otherwise. SACB has successfully helped to advance the careers of many early-stage investigators and brings together like-minded investigators to share research findings. SACB 2024 will maintain

the hybrid meeting format to both in-person and virtual meeting options. This will provide a venue for SACB to reach colleagues across the world and still be able to provide the intimate environment needed to foster Cancer Systems Biology research into the future.