Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Veterinary Cancer Society and the Organizing Committee, we warmly welcome you to the Veterinary Cancer Society 2013 Annual Conference in the beautiful and booming city of Minneapolis, October 17-19.
Our annual Veterinary Cancer Society meeting continues to attract a growing number of residents, investigators, and practitioners and it is the premier venue in the veterinary oncology field at which novel ideas, approaches, and results can be shared, old friendships can be fostered, and new ones can be formed. To continue to make this meeting a valuable experience, the Organizing Committee has been working to develop a rich and diverse program that promises to spark the interest of basic and applied scientists, practitioners, and clinical investigators. As always, the program will feature plenary sessions,a poster session, and pre-conference Resident Review Workshop on Thursday morning. In addition, there will be a unique pre-conference Cancer Genetics workshop, also on Thursday morning, that will highlight the truly innovative work being done by leaders in the field at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota.
The primary focus of the meeting will be to promote the highest standards of care in the management of veterinary patients with cancer and highlight recent discoveries and research opportunities in the field of comparative oncology. Cutting edge advances in research will be showcased in keynote lectures, and the latest advances in patient management and practice will be addressed in scientific symposia. We are delighted that Dr. Douglas Yee, Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota and Director of the Masonic Cancer Center, will deliver the Opening Keynote Speaker Lecture. Our two other distinguished keynote speakers are Dr. Carol Lange, Program Co-leader, Women’s Cancer Research Program Professor, Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Tickle Family Land Grant Endowed Chair in Breast Cancer Research; and Dr. Stephen Russell, Professor of Medicine and Director of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic.
We would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the Welcome Reception on Thursday, October 17th, 2013, providing you the opportunity to meet colleagues from within the US and around the world, network in a convivial setting and forge new connections for future collaboration. To celebrate the conclusion of the conference we also invite you to attend our Awards Reception and Gala Dinner on Saturday evening, October 19th, 2013, where we will applaud our winners and express our gratitude for everyone involved with the organization of the Conference, while enjoying wonderful food and live music by the locally acclaimed Robert Everest Expedition.
Last, but by no means least, our host city will match the exciting promise of the Conference itself. We invite speakers, participants, guests, and friends to make time to discover the enticing adjacent cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, located along the banks of the Mississippi river, with their wealth of beautiful lakes, parks, and vibrant downtown’s filled with wonderful restaurants, theaters, live music, and much more. The Marriott Hotel, our conference site, is located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, and downtown St. Paul is a short cab ride away.
We trust that you will return from the Conference inspired by colleagues from around the world and that you will have made new friends and scientific contacts that will support you in your essential work.
We are delighted to be welcoming you to what promises to be a highly educational, collaborative and successful conference.
Looking forward to seeing you in Minneapolis next fall!
Antonella Borgatti & Jaime Modiano, co-chairs
Header photo credit: Meet Minneapolis