2026 Moores Cancer Center Annual Scientific Retreat
Join us on Wednesday, September 16, 2025, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Scripps Seaside Forum for a day of discovery, connection and cancer research innovation. Open to all MCC faculty, staff, trainees, and collaborators.
Register NowAbout the Retreat
The Moores Cancer Center Annual Scientific Retreat is a full-day event designed to bring together our research and clinical community to share ideas, highlight discoveries and spark interdisciplinary collaboration.
Open to all MCC faculty, staff, trainees, and collaborators, the retreat features:
- Scientific presentations across basic, translational, clinical and population science
- A poster session showcasing innovative research
- Afternoon networking sessions organized by the Office of Translational Science (OTS)
Agenda
Poster Session Submissions
Please submit posters using this form.
Office of Translational Science Program Overview
Four focused networking sessions designed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among retreat participants, including clinical researchers, basic scientists, and translational investigators. Each session will run for 45 minutes with dedicated moderators to facilitate meaningful discussions and relationship building across the research spectrum.
Session Themes
- Treatments & Therapeutic Approaches
- Early Detection & Screening
- Health Disparities & Equity in Care
- AI Integration & Digital Health
Attendees may participate in up to two sessions.
Location and Transportation
Venue:
Scripps Seaside Forum
8610 Kennel Way, La Jolla, CA 92037
Shuttle and Transit Options:
From Moores Cancer Center or Koman Outpatient Pavilion: Take Mesa Nueva Shuttle > Transfer to SIO Shuttle at Gilman Transit Center.
From Gilman Transit Center: Take the SIO Shuttle directly to the Forum.
Rideshare and Parking:
Uber/Lyft/taxi drop-off address: Scripps Seaside Forum
We recommend public transport or street parking along La Jolla Shores Drive, El Paseo Grande or Paseo Del Ocaso
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Elena Martínez, PhD
Associate Director, Population Sciences
Sam M. Walton Endowed Chair for Cancer Research
Professor, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science
Dr. Martinez is an epidemiologist with expertise in cancer disparities research. She is Professor in the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and Associate Director of Population Sciences at UC San Diego’s Moores Cancer Center. She holds the Walton Endowed Chair for Cancer Research. Nationally, she has established strong leadership and commitment to the area of cancer health disparities, particularly in relation to Hispanic/Latino populations in the U.S. Dr. Martinez is immediate past President of the American Society for Preventive Oncology. She has served on NCI’s Board of Scientific Counselors and Board of Scientific Advisors and was one of 28 members nationally who served on the prestigious Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel. She has been continuously funded by NIH as PI/MPI for over 20 years. Currently, she is multiple principal investigator (MPI) of several NIH/NCI-funded team science research projects that focus on addressing disparities and inequities. These include, among others, the UC San Diego Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) award, whose goal is to promote institutional inclusive excellence by hiring a diverse cohort of early-stage faculty in biomedical sciences and the San Diego State University/UC San Diego Cancer Research and Education to Advance HealTh Equity (CREATE) Partnership, which focuses on addressing cancer health disparities through research, research education, and community outreach.