Ankara University hosted a significant international event addressing the challenges of resistance in cancer treatment. The meeting, titled “Rethinking Cancer Treatment: Tackling Resistance with New Tools and Strategies,” took place on 29 May 2025 at the Conference Hall of Block F, 10th Year Campus, Ankara University, and brought together researchers from various institutions.

Organised by Ankara University Faculty of Medicine and the Office of the Dean of Research, the event was moderated by Assoc. Prof. Gülnîhal Özcan, a faculty member of the Ankara University Faculty of Medicine. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Middle East Technical University (METU), and Ankara University shared current approaches to overcoming resistance in cancer therapy.

The event speakers and their presentation titles were as follows:

Prof. Dr. Michael Hemann (MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research): Why treatment fails: Understanding Mechanisms of Resistance to Cancer Immunotherapy

Assoc. Prof. Ahmet Acar (METU): Developing Quantitative Experimental Model Systems to Study Drug Resistance in Cancer

Assoc. Prof. Gülnîhal Özcan (Ankara University): Functional Genomics Approaches to Dissect Genetic Dependencies of Synergy in Cancer Therapy

Throughout the event, in-depth presentations were delivered on resistance mechanisms in immunotherapy, genetic dependencies, functional genomic approaches, and quantitative modelling systems.

Held in English, the event attracted strong interest from a broad participant profile ranging from early-career researchers to senior scientists. The question-and-answer sessions following the presentations provided a productive environment for scientific exchange.

Ankara University continues to support interdisciplinary research, bring together international scientists in the field of cancer biology, and host leading scientific events.