BEGIN:VCALENDAR
PRODID:-//eluceo/ical//2.0/EN
VERSION:2.0
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:69eb2d1e835f71361cd5bda33320d740
DTSTAMP:20260720T075116Z
SUMMARY:Converging on Cancer: International Seminar Series – Asst Prof An
 drea Pavesi (NTU) and Dr Sam Au (Imperial)
DESCRIPTION:The CRUK Convergence Science Centre is a partnership between Im
 perial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research. In collaborati
 on with our international partners we arrange a regular international semi
 nar ‘Converging on Cancer’ on the topic of interdisciplinary cancer re
 search. Our partners are:\n\nTechnical University of Munich (TUM)\nNanyang
  Technological University (NTU)\nBiotech Research and Innovation Centre (B
 RIC – University of Copenhagen)\nÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Laus
 anne (EPFL).\n\n\nIn this series\, we bring together speakers from across 
 these institutions to present their research and how they use convergence 
 science to answer cancer-related questions.\n\nThursday 4th September\, 10
 -11am BST\, 11-12pm CEST\, 5-6pm SGT\n\nSpeakers\nAsst Prof Andrea Pavesi 
 (Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine\, NTU)\nExploring and Exploiting the Tu
 mour Microenvironment through Human Microphysiological Systems\nThis talk 
 presents a microphysiological platform that bridges basic and translationa
 l oncology by recreating human tumour microenvironments (TME) in vitro. Pa
 tient-derived organoids are integrated with perfusable vasculature\, tunab
 le extracellular-matrix stiffness and autologous immune compartments to re
 capitulate the spatial\, mechanical and immunological constraints that scu
 lpt tumour evolution and therapy response. In vascularised colorectal and 
 hepatocellular models\, endothelial barriers are shown to restrict native 
 T-cell infiltration yet potentiate CAR-T cytotoxicity\, while matrix stiff
 ening tunes checkpoint engagement. A blood–brain-barrier–glioblastoma 
 construct further reveals that barrier integrity dictates temozolomide res
 istance and identifies RTN1 and MMP1 as prognostic markers. The same platf
 orm enables mechanism-based intervention: epigenetic inhibition of G9a/GLP
  or the recalibration of exhausted PD-1⁺ antigen-specific T cells marked
 ly enhances immune cytotoxicity against solid tumours. Coupling high-conte
 nt imaging\, single-cell multi-omics and functional read-outs\, this work 
 provides a human-relevant testbed for drug discovery\, cell-therapy optimi
 sation and biomarker stratification\, aligning with the FDA Modernization 
 Act’s move away from animal models. Overall\, bespoke microphysiological
  systems uncover context-dependent vulnerabilities within the TME and acce
 lerate precision immuno-oncology.\n \nDr Sam Au (Imperial)\nAvidity to Av
 igen\, Engineering a Microfluidic Immunotherapy Startup\nWe have developed
  a microfluidic device that uses fluid shear stress to select and sort cel
 l candidates by probing the strength of intercellular adhesions (avidity) 
 that form between TCR T cells\, NK cells and CAR-iNKT cells and their targ
 et cells. We demonstrate that this technology is capable of selecting opti
 mal TCR T cell candidates against NY-ESO-1+ human melanoma cells and Gp-10
 0+ murine melanoma cells\, and that the avidity profiles of five distinct 
 BCMA-targeting CAR-iNKT cell variants are predictive of survival in mice m
 odels of multiple myeloma. Unlike other techniques that evaluate single in
 teractions one at a time (e.g. TCR-pMHC)\, our technique is higher through
 put potentially probing millions of interacting binding partners on a sing
 le device\, and more physiological by evaluating the contribution of downs
 tream indicators of immune cell activation such as immunological synapse f
 ormation. This technology has attracted grant funding from BBSRC\, MRC\, i
 nnovate UK alongside venture capital funding to launch our startup Avigen 
 Ltd which offers avidity profiling services to the biotechnology industry.
 \n\n \n\nWho can attend?\nResearchers\, students and anyone with an inter
 est in convergence science relating to cancer research across our partner
 ed institutions are welcome to register:\n\nCRUK Convergence Science Cent
 re\nImperial College London\nThe Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)\nTechn
 ical University of Munich (TUM)\nNanyang Technological University (NTU)\nB
 iotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC – University of Copenhagen)\
 nÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)\nCRUK Cambridge Centre
 \nCRUK City of London Centre (Kings college\, UCL\, Barts Cancer Institute
 /Queen Mary University\, Francis Crick)\nCRUK Manchester Centre\nCRUK Newc
 astle Centre\nCRUK Oxford Centre\nCRUK Scotland Centre (University of Edin
 burgh and University of Glasgow)\n\n \nEmail icr-imperial-convergence.cen
 tre@imperial.ac.uk to receive the registration link and joining details.\n
  
URL:https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/196132/converging-on-cancer-internati
 onal-seminar-series-asst-prof-andrea-pavesi-ntu-and-assoc-prof-morten-frod
 in-bric/
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250904T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250904T110000
LOCATION:United Kingdom
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/London
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
DTSTART:20250904T100000
TZNAME:BST
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
END:DAYLIGHT
END:VTIMEZONE
END:VCALENDAR