Program Name
Symposium: Clinical Insights in Cancer Genome Interpretation – Variant Interpretation: From Sequencing to Clinical Trials in Precision Oncology.
Organisers
Organised by IRB Barcelona and the CGI-Clinics Consortium. The CGI-Clinics project receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme under grant agreement CGI-Clinics 101057509.
What is it?
A European symposium addressing one of the most critical challenges in precision oncology: translating raw Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) data into actionable, meaningful clinical decisions for cancer patients. The event explores how molecular profiling, clinical decision support tools, and biomarker-driven clinical trials are redefining personalised cancer care across Europe.
Key Focus & Objectives
The symposium brings together cross-disciplinary experts to address core bottlenecks in variant interpretation and healthcare integration:
- Genomic Interpretation in Precision Oncology: Evaluating cutting-edge mutation interpretation pipelines, clinical decision support tools, and automated trial-matching platforms.
- Multidisciplinary Taskforce (MTBs): Highlighting operational best practices for Molecular Tumor Boards to streamline collaborative decision-making.
- Translational & Clinical Impact: Tackling real-world variant classification challenges to empower healthcare professionals and improve patient outcomes.
- Harmonisation Across Europe: Exploring strategies to standardise molecular profiling interpretation across diverse EU healthcare systems.
Programme Agenda (19 November 2026)
- 08:30 – 09:00: Registration
- 09:00 – 09:15: Welcome Address – Núria López-Bigas (IRB Barcelona)
- 09:15 – 10:30: Challenges and Solutions of Genome Interpretation in Clinics
Santiago Demajo (IRB Barcelona) – CGI VUS and CGI validation
Edwin Cuppen (Hartwig Medical Foundation) – WGS in the clinics
Peter Horak (DKFZ) – German Cancer Research Center insights - 10:30 – 11:15: Coffee Break & Group Picture
- 11:15 – 12:00: Molecular Profiling Interpretation Across the EU
Panel with Laura Mezquita (Hospital Clínic de Barcelona), André Oswald (MedUni Vienna), and Colin Lindsay (University of Manchester) - 12:00 – 12:45: Experiences from WGS/WES from CGI500genomes
Presentations by Aroa Soriano (VHIR), Luigi Lorini (IRCCS Humanitas), Alberto Hernando (VHIO), Eduard Porta (Institut de Recerca Josep Carreras), and Antonia Kouroutzidou (CERTH) - 12:45 – 14:00: Finger Lunch & Networking
- 14:00 – 14:45: AI in Interpretation of Genome Variants in Oncology
Núria López-Bigas (IRB Barcelona) – AI in CGI and the future of variant interpretation - 14:45 – 16:00: Round Table: Expected Outcomes and Challenges in Molecular Tumor Boards (MTBs)
Chaired by Ana Vivancos with panelists from VHIO, Centre Léon Bérard/Institut Curie, and Institut Gustave Roussy - 16:00 – 16:30: Afternoon Coffee Break
- 16:30 – 17:15: Clinical Trials Accessibility in Europe
Panel featuring Núria Kotecki (Institut Jules Bordet), Arnaud Bayle (Klineo), and Kristoffer Staal (Rigshospitalet) - 17:15 – 17:30: Closing Remarks
Who Should Attend?
The symposium is open to a wide range of stakeholders across precision oncology:
- Oncologists, pathologists, molecular biologists, and bioinformaticians.
- Translational researchers, clinical trial specialists, and hospital leaders.
- Patient representatives, policy makers, regulators, payers, and industry stakeholders.
Key Details & Logistics
Date: Thursday, 19 November 2026 (08:30 – 17:30 CET).
Venue: Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), Carrer del Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Format: On-site event (maximum capacity of 250 participants).
Cost: Free of charge. (Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses).
Registration Deadline: 30 October 2026.
Slot Allocation: Registrations are reviewed and confirmed by organisers, with designated allocations including 10 slots for patient representatives, 15 for healthcare professionals, 15 for molecular biologists, 15 for researchers, 10 for policy makers, and 10 for industry representatives.
Official Links & Registration:
Symposium Webpage & Agenda.
Register for the Symposium (Google Form).
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