2026 Lynch Cancer Research Center Symposium

Location

Creighton University 
Harper Ballroom
602 N 20th St
Omaha, NE 68178

or Online

This is a hybrid event. In-person attendance is encouraged for local participants.

Registration 

No Cost to Attend

Need help registering? Click here.

Conference links to be sent a week prior to the event. 

Description

The 2026 Lynch Cancer Research Center Symposium brings together clinicians, researchers and trainees to explore emerging advancements in cancer research and clinical care. 

This full-day program is designed to foster collaboration, highlight innovative research and support the translation of scientific advances into clinical practice. In addition to the keynote address, the symposium will feature six distinguished speakers from leading institutions across the country. Opportunities for networking and discussion with speakers and colleagues will be available throughout the day, including information interactions during lunch.

Featured Speakers

Keynote Speaker
Douglas R. Lowy, MD
National Cancer Institute

Plenary Speakers

Designed For

Faculty and healthcare professionals, residents, post-doctoral fellows, students at all higher education levels, and clinical and research staff involved in or interested in cancer research and its clinical application.

Jointly Provided By 

• Creighton University School of Medicine
  • Lynch Cancer Research Center
  • Department of Biomedical Sciences
  • Department of Surgery
• Creighton University College of Professional and Continuing Education
• CHI Health, a member of CommonSpirit

Sponsored By

This Symposium is funded in part by the generous financial support of State of Nebraska Cancer and Smoking-related Diseases Research Program. Additional support is provided by Fisher Scientific.

Schedule

Thursday, October 29, 2026
All times listed are in Central Time (CT).

8:15 a.m.  
Check-In & Breakfast 

9:00 a.m.
Opening Remarks

9:15 a.m.
Dietary Control of Stem Cells in Physiology and Disease
Omer H. Yilmaz, MD, PhD
Director, Stem Cell Initiative
Professor of Biology 
Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

9:55 a.m.
Discovery of Novel Drivers of Malignancy in Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Kevin Pruitt, PhD
Associate Professor of Pharmacology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

10:35 a.m.
Break

10:55 a.m.
Presentation of the Dr. Henry Lynch Cancer Research Award
Presented by: Laura A. Hansen, PhD
Director, Lynch Cancer Research Center

11:00 a.m.
Dr. Henry Lynch Cancer Research Award Lecture & Keynote Address: Developing the HPV Vaccine for Cancer Prevention and RAS Regulation of the DLc1 Tumor Suppressor
Douglas R. Lowy, MD
Principal Deputy Director
Chief, Laboratory of Cellular Oncology
National Cancer Institute

Noon
Lunch & Networking

1:15 p.m.
The Leukemia Genome: Biology and Clinical Implications
Charles G. Mullighan, MBBS (Hons), MSc, MD, FRS
Senior Deputy Director, Comprehensive Cancer Center
Co-Leader, Hematological Malignancies Program
Professor of Pathology
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

1:55 p.m.
p53 in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: From Pathobiology to Cancer Surveillance
Joseph D. Khoury, MD
Professor and Chair
Peter C. Hinrichs Chair in Pathology
University of Nebraska Medical Center

2:35 p.m.
Break

2:55 p.m.
Risk-reducing Mastectomy in Gene Mutation Carriers
Shawna C. Willey, MD, FACS, FASBrS
Peterson Chair, Breast Cancer Research
Program Director, Breast Surgery Fellowship
Professor of Medical Education, University of Virginia
Inova Schar Cancer Institute

3:35 p.m.
Cryoablation in Breast Cancer: The Obvious Initiates but the Cascade Dictates
Rakhshanda Layeequr Rahman, MD, FCPS, FRCS (Ed. Glasg.), FACS
Division Chief of Breast Surgery
Professor of Surgery
Creighton University / CHI Health

4:15 p.m.
Closing Remarks

Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Creighton University Health Sciences Continuing Education and CHI Health. Creighton University Health Sciences Continuing Education is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

How To Register

Step 1
Login or create a Lifelong Learning account by selecting "Enroll Now."

If you are unable to create a new account, it is likely you have already registered this email address. Click “Forgot Password” to reset.

Each registrant must create their own account using their own email.

Lifelong Learning accounts are not synced to any Creighton NetID system updates.

Step 2
Register for your program by clicking on the Cart and following the prompts to submit payment.

When done, you will receive a Registration Confirmation email.

You can also view your confirmed registrations in your Creighton Lifelong Learning account under Student Dashboard and Purchases & Enrollments.

Questions?