AGENDA

2026 Canadian Chronic Lymphocytic
Leukemia Research Meeting

Thursday, September 24th, 2026

Day 1

7:15 AM – 8:15 AM Breakfast & Registration – Foyer/Forks Ballroom
8:15 AM – 8:20 AM Welcoming Address – Dr. Carolyn Owen & Dr. Versha Banerji, CLL Co-Chairs – Forks Ballroom
8:20 AM – 10:25 AM   Session 1: Surveillance in CLL – Session Chair: Dr. Lin Yang, CancerCare Manitoba – Forks Ballroom
8:20 AM – 9:00 AM Keynote: Management of Early Stage CLL – Best Approach to Active Surveillance – Dr. Alessandra Ferrajoli, MD Anderson Cancer Center
9:00 AM – 9:10 AM Questions & Answers
9:10 AM – 9:30 AM Dosing in the Dark: Immunoglobulin Replacement in CLL – Dr. Jeannie Callum, Queen’s University
9:30 AM – 9:35 AM Questions & Answers
9:35 AM – 9:55 AM Microbiota-Immune Interactions of Time-Restricted Eating in CLL – Dr. Julian Lum, BC Cancer
9:55 AM – 10:00 AM Questions & Answers
10:00 AM – 10:20 AM Discrete Choice Survey – Dr. Sarit Assouline, McGill University
10:20 AM – 10:25 AM Questions & Answers
10:25 AM – 10:55 AM Coffee Break – Foyer
10:55 AM – 12:30 PM  Session 2: RW Outcomes – Session Chair: Dr. Cindy Toze, BC Cancer – Forks Ballroom
10:55 AM – 11:15 AM CanCLL research group: Introduction to Real-World Collaborative Studies – Dr. Alina Gerrie, BC Cancer
11:15 AM – 11:20 AM Questions & Answers
11:20 AM –11:40 AM Richter Transformation – Outcomes in Canadian Patients – Dr. Alina Gerrie, BC Cancer
11:40 AM –11:45 AM Questions & Answers
11:45 AM – 12:05 PM Real-World CLL/SLL Outcomes in Alberta– Dr. Robert Puckrin,  Arthur Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre
12:05 PM – 12:10 PM Questions & Answers
12:10 PM – 12:25 PM Clinical Outcomes of Younger Patients with CLL – Joshua Yi, University of Toronto
12:25 PM – 12:30 PM Questions & Answers
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch – Foyer/ Forks Ballroom
1:30 PM – 2:35 PM Session 3: Relapsed/Refractory Therapy – Session Chair: Dr. Abi Vijenthira, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre – Forks Ballroom
1:30 PM – 1:40 PM Role of CAR-T for CLL in Canada – Dr. Carolyn Owen, Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre
1:40 PM – 1:45 PM Questions & Answers
1:45 PM – 2:05 PM Increasing Access to Safe and Effective T-Cell Therapies
– Dr. Yale Michaels, University of Manitoba
2:05 PM – 2:10 PM Questions & Answers
2:10 PM – 2:30 PM Real World Outcomes of CAR-T for CLL – Dr. Mazyar Shadman, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
2:30 PM – 2:35 PM Questions & Answers
2:35 PM – 2:55 PM Coffee Break – Foyer
2:55 PM – 4:00 PM Session 4: Translational Studies – Session Chair: Dr. Carolyn Owen, Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre – Forks Ballroom
2:55 PM – 3:15 PM Can Baseline CLL Proteomes Predict Individual Treatment Responses? – Dr. Rene Zahedi, University of Manitoba
3:15 PM – 3:20 PM Questions & Answers
3:20 PM – 3:40 PM Potential of Non-BTK Targets in Relapsed/Refractory CLL Therapy – Dr. Asish Ghosh, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
3:40 PM – 3:45 PM Questions & Answers
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM Transcriptional / Epigenetic Chemical Inducers of Proximity (TCIPs): Novel Approach to Induce CLL B Cell Killing
– Dr. Weiguo Han, Mayo Clinic (Virtual Presentation)
4:00 PM – 4:10 PM Closing Remarks – Dr. Versha Banerji, CLL Co-Chair
5:15 PM – 6:30 PM CLL Poster Presentation Reception – Open to All Attendees – Foyer
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM CLL Dinner – Forks Ballroom
6:30 PM – 6:45 PM Poster Awards Presentation – Ms. Donna Simister
6:45 PM – 7:10 PM Keynote: From Browser to Board Member: How CLL Canada Enriched My Cancer Adventures – Robert Pitter, CLL Canada
Friday, September 25th, 2026

Day 2

7:15 AM – 8:00 AM Breakfast & Registration – Foyer/Forks Ballroom
8:00 AM – 8:05 AM Opening Remarks – Dr. Versha Banerji, CLL Co-Chair– Forks Ballroom
8:05 AM – 8:45 AM Keynote: Richter Transformation and Novel Treatments
– Dr. Mazyar Shadman, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
8:45 AM – 8:55 AM Questions & Answers
8:55 AM – 10:45 AM  Session 5: Translational Studies – Session Chair: Dr. Alina Gerrie, BC Cancer – Forks Ballroom
8:55 AM – 9:15 AM Targeting ISGylation to Eliminate Venetoclax-Tolerant Persister Cells – Dr. David Spaner, Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Center
9:15 AM – 9:20 AM Questions & Answers
9:20 AM – 9:40 AM Subversion of the BCR-Anergy Safeguard Underpins Unique Molecular Features of CLL – Dr. Christopher Oakes, Ohio State University
9:40 AM – 9:45 AM Questions & Answers
9:45 AM – 10:05 AM Targeting N-myristoyltransferases as a Therapeutic Strategy in CLL – Dr. Spencer Gibson, University of Alberta
10:05 AM – 10:10 AM Questions & Answers
10:10 AM – 10:40 AM Drivers of Relapse in BTK Inhibitor and Venetoclax Progressed CLL – Dr. Deepa Sampath, MD Anderson Cancer Center
10:40 AM – 10:45 AM Questions & Answers
10:45 AM – 11:05 AM Coffee Break – Foyer
11:05 AM – 2:40 PM Session 5: Part 2 – Session Chair: Dr. Versha Banerji, University of Manitoba – Forks Ballroom
11:05 AM – 11:25 AM Significance of CXCR3+ T cells in CLL – Dr. Rebecca Dielschneider, Providence University College
11:25 AM – 11:30 AM Questions & Answers
11:30 AM – 11:50 AM PKN1/TRAF1 Axis in CLL – Dr. Ali Abdul-Sater, York University
11:50 AM – 11:55 AM Questions & Answers
11:55 AM – 12:15 PM T cell Interactions and Leukemic B cell Metabolism – Dr. Aaron Marshall, University of Manitoba
12:15 PM – 12:20 PM Questions & Answers
12:20 PM – 1:20 PM Lunch – Foyer/Forks Ballroom
1:20 PM – 1:40 PM Inhibition of Non-Canonical Mechanisms of PIKKs is a Novel Mechanism to Reverse Venetoclax Resistance in CLL – Clare Hibbert, University of Manitoba
1:40 PM – 1:45 PM Questions & Answers
1:45 PM – 2:05 PM Genomic Events in Hodgkin Variant – Richter Transformation – Jeffrey Niu, BC Cancer Research Centre
2:05 PM – 2:10 PM Questions & Answers
2:10 PM – 2:20 PM B Cell Restricted Transgenic Expression of Zeb1 and p53 Loss Induce CLL-like Disease in Mice – Dr. Ola Rizq, University of Manitoba
2:20 PM – 2:25 PM Questions & Answers
2:25 PM – 2:35 PM  Accessing Phage Susceptibility Testing through the National Microbiology Laboratory – Dr. Michael Parcey, Public Health Agency of Canada
2:35 PM – 2:40 PM Questions & Answers
2:40 PM – 2:45 PM Closing Remarks – Dr. Carolyn Owen, CLL Co-Chair