Milan Heck

Patient Advocate for Rare Cancers and Masters of Science Student
Department of Biochemistry, McGill University

Milan is a Masters student in the Department of Biochemistry at McGill University. Her cancer journey began in 2015 when she was diagnosed with Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma, with her final treatments ending in April 2023. Her experience with rare disease led to her involvement in patient advocacy which has included speaking at fundraisers, public lectures, and for news segments. She donated her samples to the Alberta Tumor Biobank early on in her treatments, leading to her collaboration with a CAR-T therapy research initiative at the University of Calgary. From both her studies and experiences with cancer, she is passionate about research and hopes to pursue a career in science communication.

Katy Rezvani

Katy Rezvani, MD, PhD is a professor of medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she serves as the Vice President & Head, Cell Therapy Institute for Discovery and Innovation, Sally Cooper Murray Chair in Cancer Research, and medical director of the GMP Facility. She leads a research lab with a focus on NK cell biology and developing novel NK cell engineering strategies for cancer, with the aim of translating these discoveries to the clinic. Dr. Rezvani completed her medical training at University College London, England and her PhD at Imperial College London. She completed her training in immunology and transplantation biology at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. In addition, she has co-authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications and received multiple prizes and awards, including the American Society of Hematology E. Donnall Thomas award.

Uğur Şahin

Co-founder and CEO of BioNTech, Professor, M.D., Physician, Immunologist

Prof. Uğur Şahin is a leader in the development of novel approaches to fighting cancer and infectious diseases. He is one of the world’s foremost experts on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) medicines and is repeatedly listed as one of the top 20 translational researchers worldwide. “Project Lightspeed” was initiated and overseen by Sahin, the historic development of the mRNA vaccine for Covid-19. The project moved from lab and clinical testing to conditional approval within an 11-month period. He also leads the research and development of neoantigen- specific and non-neoantigen specific mRNA cancer vaccines. Sahin is a co-inventor of over 500 filed patents applications and patents. His academic credentials include serving as a full professor in Translational Oncology & Immunology at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. He is also the Chairman of the Scientific Management Board of the Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology (HI-TRON). Sahin has received many awards and recognitions, including the German Sustainability Award, the Mustafa Award, and the German Cancer Award.