Marcus Schmidt, MD, is a professor of molecular oncology and head of the Breast Cancer Center at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. After studying medicine at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, he began training in pathology in the UK, Germany and the US. He then completed his specialist training in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, where he graduated in obstetrics and gynecology. After graduating, he completed further training in gynecological oncology, medical tumor therapy and palliative medicine. He is a member of numerous international academic societies (e.g. American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, European Society for Medical Oncology) and an honorary member of the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG). He is a voting member of committees that make recommendations for the treatment of breast cancer and is a principal investigator in academic study groups such as the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Gynäkologische Onkologie (AGO) and the German Breast Group (GBG). The clinical focus of his work is on the medical treatment of breast cancer. His main scientific interest is in prognostic and predictive factors in breast cancer and particularly the role of the immune system in prognosis and treatment. He has received several scientific awards for his research and is the author of more than 500 publications listed in Web of Science.
Rita Nanda, M.D.,is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Breast Oncology at The University of Chicago. Dr. Nanda earned her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and her Medical Degree from The University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine. She subsequently completed her Residency in Internal Medicine and her Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at The University of Chicago. Dr. Nanda’s research interests include identifying novel treatments for the management of breast cancer, particularly triple-negative disease. Dr. Nanda has authored numerous scientific publications and book chapters, including one of the first reports of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for triple-negative breast cancer. She is a member of the Breast Immuno-Oncology (BIO) Taskforce of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Breast Cancer Steering Committee (BCSC), and serves as a Principal Investigator for the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC) and the ISPY2 Clinical Trial Network. She is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Association of Cancer Research, and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer. Dr. Nanda’s research has been funded by The NIH, The Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, and The Metastatic Breast Cancer Network. She was awarded the 2014 NCI Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award.