Bio
Dr. Kousik Kumar Kesh is a Research Associate in the Department of Pathology at Saint Louis University, USA. He earned his PhD in Cancer Biology from the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Jadavpur University, and has held research positions at the University of Miami and Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on cancer biology, particularly tumor–stroma interactions, cancer metabolism, cancer stem cells, gene signature analysis, and the role of the microbiome in cancer progression and therapy resistance. His work spans multiple cancer types, including pancreatic, colorectal, breast, and head and neck cancers. Dr. Kesh has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and received recognition at international conferences. His research integrates molecular biology, metabolic pathways, and microbiome analysis to advance translational cancer research and identify novel therapeutic strategies.

Talk
Artificial Intelligence in Oral Cancer Risk Prediction

Bio
Professor Richard Su is currently serving as Clinical Professor and Chief of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Hong Kong. Having dedicated his career to advancing the fields of oral and maxillofacial oncology and reconstructive surgery, Professor Su has established himself as one of the global authorities in his specialty. He specializes in oral and maxillofacial oncology and microsurgical reconstruction, with a particular interest in the application of computer-assisted surgery, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence in head and neck surgery and reconstruction. Professor Su is an active member of several prestigious international organizations, including Secretary General of the International Academy of Oral Oncology (IAOO). He has been a Scientific Committee Member of various International Conferences, including ICOMS, IAOO, and ACOMS. He also contributes to the academic community, serving as a Section Editor of the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Associate Editor of Frontiers in Oncology and Craniomaxillofacial Trauma and Reconstruction. Professor Su has published over 160 manuscripts in international peer-reviewed journals and is the inventor of eight patents, including three US and EU patents and five Chinese patents. His innovative work has been supported by ten peer-reviewed external research grants for studies in which he has served as the principal investigator, reflecting the impact and relevance of his research. He has been ranked by Clarivate Analytics as being in the top 1% of researchers worldwide by citations for four consecutive years, 2021–2025, and has also been ranked by Stanford University as being in the top 2% of scientists in 2023–2025. A sought-after speaker, Professor Su has been invited to deliver lectures at numerous international and regional conferences and courses, sharing his expertise and insights with the global medical community.

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Liposomal Doxorubicin Potentiates Anti-Tumor Immune Response in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Bio
Dr. Jennifer Anderson, MD, PhD, is a surgeon-scientist on faculty at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She completed her PhD in molecular biology from UCLA, followed by her MD from the University of California, Irvine. She then completed her residency in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, followed by fellowship training in advanced head and neck surgical oncology at MD Anderson. Dr. Anderson’s research focuses on tumor immunology and the tumor microenvironment in head and neck cancer, with particular emphasis on immunomodulatory therapeutic strategies, as well as single-cell and spatial approaches. She is actively engaged in both clinical and translational research. Her work has been presented at national and international conferences and published in leading journals, including Clinical Cancer Research and Nature Reviews Cancer. She is a member of several national professional organizations, including the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), and the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS). She also serves on the NRG Oncology Head and Neck Cancer General Committee.

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Particle Beam Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer: Current Experience at The University of Washington / Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Bio
I am an Associate Professor in Radiation Oncology at the University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center with clinical and research focus in Head and Neck cancer. I currently serve as the Director of the Head and Neck Cancer Service for the Department of Radiation Oncology at our institution since 2024. Our head and neck cancer program is a large tertiary care referral program and the largest in the Pacific Northwest Region of the US. I am involved in clinical research focused on advances in particle beam radiation therapy for H&N cancers, including proton beam therapy and fast neutron radiotherapy. I also have special interests in sinonasal cancers and salivary gland cancers. I am active in many clinical trials in these areas as well as others as a collaborator, co-investigator, and PI, including investigator-initiated, industry-sponsored, multicenter, as well as cooperative group trials.

Bio
Wendell G. Yarbrough, MD, MMHC, FACS, is the Thomas J. Dark Distinguished Professor and Chair of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A Morehead Scholar, he earned his MD with honors and distinction from UNC before completing residency training as a Womack Scholar in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery and fellowship training in surgical oncology also at UNC. Dr. Yarbrough has held faculty and leadership positions at UNC, Vanderbilt, and Yale. His research focuses on human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, including the identification of biologically distinct tumor subtypes, a new mechanism of HPV carcinogenesis, and translational discovery of molecular vulnerabilities informing clinical trials.

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Mechanisms of Tobacco-Mediated Immunosuppression in Patients with HPV+ Oropharynx Cancer Who Smoke

Bio
Joshua D Smith is an Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and Veterans Affairs (VA) Pittsburgh Healthcare System. He completed his residency training at the University of Michigan in 2024 and a surgical fellowship in Advanced Head and Neck Oncologic and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery at UPMC in 2025. His clinical interests are in complex surgical ablation of benign and malignant tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract, salivary glands, skin, and thyroid gland. His research interests are in understanding mechanisms of tumor-immune evasion, particularly in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharynx cancers, to identify novel immunomodulating treatments for these patients.