Our Mission

The mission of the Society is to improve patient care and outcomes by facilitating implementation of functional assays into clinical care. The purposes are to foster research and development of functional precision medicine solutions across medicine; to accelerate the dissemination of new and relevant research findings among interested parties; to promote education and training about functional precision medicine; to foster solutions for clinical testing of functional precision medicine approaches; and to improve efficiency of adoption of functional precision medicine solutions through interaction with academia, regulatory bodies, industry, and patients.

Become a Member

PMNET Forum 2024 - October 10-11, Riga Latvia

PMNET Promo

PMNET Forum 2024 - October 10-11, Riga Latvia
Join SFPM members at the next PMNET Forum! Participation is complimentary. This forum is an in-person event and has a limited availability. Registration is compulsory and is made on a first come-first served basis.

Registration includes:
-
Admission to the program
- Coffee breaks on October 10-11
- Lunch on October 10-11

Upcoming SFPM Events

AACR SPECIAL CONFERENCE IN CANCER RESEARCH

March 11 - 13, 2025
Hyatt Regency Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS:
Anthony G. Letai, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
Elaine R. Mardis
, The Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
Peter Horak, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
Alice Soragni
, University of California, Los Angeles, California

FUNCTIONAL AND GENOMIC PRECISION MEDICINE IN CANCER: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, COMMON GOALS
Precision medicine applied to oncology aims to match each patient to the right therapy. Heretofore, genomics has been the main tool in performing precision medicine. Yet, many cancer patients lack actionable alterations as there is a limited set of highly predictive biomarkers to accurately match patients to effective therapies. There is a need to extend the benefits of precision medicine to a larger proportion of cancer patients. Therefore, additional strategies need to be explored. One important approach is functional precision medicine, a strategy by which living patient tumor cells are exposed to therapies and signals measured to predict clinical response. The goal of this AACR Special Conference is to share experiences among those in the genomics and functional precision oncology arenas, to accelerate the progress toward routine clinical adoption of combined approaches in the oncology clinic. At this exciting program in Boston we will share technical, clinical, and logistical experiences, as well as our understanding of the barriers to widespread adoption of genomic and functional precision medicine in the treatment of the cancer patient, and how these approaches might be combined to provide more powerful tools than either alone.

Call for Board Member Nominations

Do you want to help shape the future of the SFPM?  Self-nominate or nominate a peer for a board position today and lend your experience and input!

Open positions for this election cycle include

Positions will be filled by vote of the Professional or Associate members in good standing. You must be a Professional or Associate member to view the form and apply.

Membership

The SFPM arose out of recognition of the unmet need in matching cancer patients to the therapies best suited for them. Through the use of functional assays, we hope to bridge the gap between patients and the treatments best suited for their cancer. This is possible through research, communication, and collaboration amongst our members and with outreach to the cancer therapy community as a whole. To further the mission, we offer our members the following exclusive benefits

Applications for membership may be submitted at any time during the year. We look forward to having you onboard!

Virtual Monthly Seminars

Come join us for our Virtual Monthly Seminar which will bring together a unique mix of pharmaceutical, academic and technology leaders, the series should not be missed for those interested in the use of assaying technology to further biomarker discovery, drug R&D and personalized healthcare outcomes.

Next Seminar

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

@

12:00 PM EST

Meeting URL: www.zoom.us
Meeting ID: 828 5622 5783
Passcode: 027718

Sheela Damle, MD, PhD
Sheela Damle, MD, PhD
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Tumor slice cultures as a window into the human TME

Next Seminar

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

@

12:00 PM EST

Meeting URL: www.zoom.us
Meeting ID: 828 5622 5783
Passcode: 027718

Venu G. Pillarisetty, MD
Venu G. Pillarisetty, MD
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Tumor slice cultures as a window into the human TME

Recent News

Stay connected, stay ahead. Know everything that matters, as it happens. From the very latest industry news, reports, papers, and studies. Would you like to see your news here? Email the admin and we will get it linked. Check out our news archive for all past stories and posts.

2024 Election Results
September 4, 2024

2024 Election Results

The Society recently held elections for several open seats including two newly created seats which aim to include commercial sector representation.

Congratulations to our newest board members:

  • Vice President - Karin Langenberg, MD, PhD - Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology
  • Board Member, Commercial Sector - Bruce Yeager - G2E Enterprises, Inc.
  • Board Member, Commercial Sector - Christian Regenbrecht, PhD - ASC Oncology

The following members have been reelected for another term:

  • Treasurer - Jeff Tyner, PhD - Oregon Health and Science University
  • Board Member, At-Large - Diana Azzam, PhD - Florida International University
  • Board Member, At-Large - Joan Montero, PhD - University of Barcelona

Click the button below to learn more about our board.

Read MORE
PMNET Forum 2024
July 17, 2024

PMNET Forum 2024

Many SFPM stalwarts will be speaking at the PMNET meeting October 10-11, Riga Latvia. Please visit pmnetforum.com to register for this exciting meeting!

Read MORE
Acquired resistance targeted functionally in AML
June 18, 2024

Acquired resistance targeted functionally in AML

The researchers highlighted the effectiveness of a functional precision medicine approach, called dynamic BH3 profiling (DBP), in identifying targeted therapy for highly aggressive relapsed acute myeloid leukemia. The technique can measure the increase in mitochondrial priming, which signifies a higher potential for apoptosis. DBP can identify drugs with new or persistent activity in resistant tumors for the development of targeted in vivo therapeutic strategies.

Read MORE
Mutation Patterns Predict Drug Sensitivity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
April 29, 2024

Mutation Patterns Predict Drug Sensitivity in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The inherent genetic heterogeneity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has challenged the development of precise and effective therapies. The objective of this study was to elucidate the genomic basis of drug resistance or sensitivity, identify signatures for drug response prediction, and provide resources to the research community.

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New cancer treatment shows success at Florida International University
April 15, 2024

New cancer treatment shows success at Florida International University

SFPM board member Diana Azzam, PhD, and researchers at FIU developed a new approach to targeting hard-to-treat cancers. The method was used successfully for the first time for relapsed pediatric patients.

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Cellular Mass Response to Therapy Correlates With Clinical Response for a Range of Malignancies
January 23, 2024

Cellular Mass Response to Therapy Correlates With Clinical Response for a Range of Malignancies

Cancer patients with advanced-stage disease have poor prognosis, typically having limited options for efficacious treatment, and genomics-based therapy guidance continues to benefit only a fraction of patients. Next-generation ex vivo approaches, such as cell mass-based response testing (MRT), offer an alternative precision medicine approach for a broader population of patients with cancer, but validation of clinical feasibility and potential impact remain necessary.

Read MORE

Support the SFPM

The SFPM is growing, and we need financial support. While we collect annual individual membership dues, these only fund a fraction of our needs. To plan for the future, the SFPM must secure a stable financial basis from which to plan. Even though the Board is made up of unpaid volunteers, we nonetheless have significant costs to defray, particularly with respect to annual meetings and administrative support.

Contributions from all tiers will be recognized by name on the SFPM website, however, contributions at the Precision tier will receive preferred logo placement and recognition on the SFPM website, logo and name recognition at each monthly seminar, and institution name and logo prominently displayed at our annual meeting and on meeting marketing materials. Precision tier supporters will also receive ten (10) complimentary memberships to be distributed amongst their institutions. Functional tier supporters will receive name and logo recognition during at least six of our monthly seminars as well as name and logo recognition on our website. Functional tier supporters will also receive five (5) complimentary memberships to be distributed amongst their institutions. Advocate tier supporters will receive name and logo recognition on our website and one (1) complimentary membership. We hope you agree with us that “the future is functional”, and that the SFPM is getting us there faster.

Thank You Sponsors