2026 Manitoba CLL Agenda 

Thursday, September 24th, 2026

Day 1

7:15 – 8:15 Breakfast & Registration – Foyer
8:15 – 8:20 Welcoming Address – Dr. Carolyn Owen & Dr. Versha Banerji, CLL Co-Chairs – Forks Ballroom
8:20 – 10:00   Session 1:  – Session Chair: TBD – Forks Ballroom
8:20 – 9:00 Keynote: Management of Early Stage CLL – Best Approach to Active Surveillance – Dr. Alessandra Ferrajoli
9:00 – 9:10 Questions & Answers
9:10 – 9:30 Microbiota-Immune Interactions of Time-Restricted Eating in CLL – Dr. Julian Lum
9:30 – 9:35 Questions & Answers
9:35 – 9:55 Discrete Choice Survey – Dr. Sarit Assouline
9:55 – 10:00 Questions & Answers
10:00 – 10:30 Coffee Break – Foyer
10:30 – 11:45  Session 2: RWE Outcomes – Session Chair: TBD – Forks Ballroom
10:30 – 10:50 CanCLL research group: introduction to real-world collaborative studies – Dr. Alina Gerrie, BCCA
10:50 – 10:55 Questions & Answers
10:55 – 11:15 Richter Transformation – Outcomes in Canadian Patients – Dr. Alina Gerrie, BCCA
11:15 -11:20 Questions & Answers
11:20 – 11:40 Real-World CLL/SLL Outcomes in Alberta– Dr. Robert Puckrin
11:40 – 11:45 Questions & Answers
11:45 – 12:00 Outcomes of Younger Patients with CLL – Joshua Yi
12:00 – 12:05 Questions & Answers
12:05 – 1:05 Lunch – Foyer
12:45 – 2:35  Session 3: Relapsed/Refractory Therapy – Session Chair: TBD – Forks Ballroom
1:05 – 1:25 Anti-CD19 CAR T-cell Therapy for CLL
– Dr. James Kochenderfer
1:25 – 1:30 Questions & Answers
1:30 – 1:50 Increasing Access to Safe and Effective T-Cell Therapies
– Dr. Yale Michaels
1:50 – 1:55 Questions & Answers
1:55 – 2:05 Real World Outcomes of CAR-T for CLL – Dr. Mazyar Shadman
2:05 – 2:10 Questions & Answers
2:10 – 2:20 Role of CAR-T for CLL in Canada – Dr. Carolyn Owen
2:20 – 2:25 Questions & Answers
2:25 – 2:45 Coffee Break – Foyer
2:45 – 3:40  Session 4: Translational Studies – Session Chair: TBD – Forks Ballroom
2:45 – 3:05 Presentation TBD – Dr. Rene Zahedi
3:05 – 3:10 Questions & Answers
3:10 – 3:30 Potential of Non-BTK Targets in Relapsed/Refractory CLL Therapy – Dr. Asish Ghosh
3:30 – 3:35 Questions & Answers
3:35 – 3:50 Closing Remarks – Dr. Versha Banerji
5:15 – 6:30 CLL Poster Presentation Reception – Open to All Attendees – Foyer
6:30 – 6:45 Smith Family Welcome
Poster Awards – Presented by the Smith Family
6:30 – 9:30 CLL Dinner – Forks Ballroom
Friday, September 25th, 2026

Day 2

7:15 – 8:00 Breakfast & Registration – Foyer
8:00 – 8:05 Opening Remarks – Dr. Versha Banerji – Forks Ballroom
8:05 – 8:45 Keynote: Richter Transformation and Novel Treatments
– Dr. Mazyar Shadman
8:45 – 8:55 Questions & Answers
8:55 – 10:45  Session 5: Translational Studies – Session Chair: TBD – Forks Ballroom
8:55 – 9:15 Targeting ISGylation to Eliminate Venetoclax-Tolerant Persister Cells – Dr. David Spaner
9:15 – 9:20 Questions & Answers
9:20 – 9:40 Subversion of the BCR-Anergy Safeguard Underpins Unique Molecular Features of CLL – Dr. Christopher Oakes
9:40 – 9:45 Questions & Answers
9:45 – 10:05 Targeting the Lysosomes in the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Microenvironment Using a 3D Spheroid Model
– Dr. Spencer Gibson
10:05 – 10:10 Questions & Answers
10:10 – 10:40 Drivers of Relapse in BTK Inhibitor and Venetoclax Progressed CLL – Dr. Deepa Sampath
10:40 – 10:45 Questions & Answers
10:45 – 11:05 Coffee Break – Foyer
11:05 – 1:20 Session 5: Part 2 – Session Chair: TBD – Forks Ballroom
11:05 – 11:25 Significance of CXCR3+ T cells in CLL – Dr. Rebecca Dielschneider
11:25 – 11:30 Questions & Answers
11:30 – 11:50 PKN1/TRAF1 axis in CLL – Dr. Ali Abdul-Sater
11:50 – 11:55 Questions & Answers
11:55 – 12:15 Presentation TBD – Dr. Aaron Marshall
12:15 – 12:20 Questions & Answers
12:20 – 12:50 Presentation TBD – Dr. Sachin Katyal
12:50 – 12:55 Questions & Answers
12:55 – 1:15 Genomic Events in Hodgkin Variant – Richter Transformation – TBD
1:15 – 1:20 Questions & Answers
1:20 – 1:25 Closing Remarks – Dr. Carolyn Owen
1:25 – 2:30 Lunch – Foyer