Advances in Molecular Oncology and Cancer Genomics

Rita Shaknovich, MD, PhD

Chief Medical Officer, Life Sciences & Diagnostics Group, Agilent Technologies

Cancer genomics research continues to evolve rapidly, driven by an expanding understanding of molecular alterations and an increasing need for comprehensive genomic analysis. As laboratories seek to generate deeper insights while maintaining operational efficiency, flexible and integrated workflows are becoming increasingly important.

In this session, Dr. Rita Shaknovich will discuss key trends shaping the molecular oncology landscape and the growing role of comprehensive genomic profiling in cancer research. She will explore how integrated genomic workflows spanning sample quality assessment, library preparation, target enrichment, sequencing, and downstream analysis can help laboratories strengthen their research capabilities while maintaining control over data, workflows, and scientific outputs.

Attendees will gain perspective on how scalable and adaptable genomic research solutions can support current oncology research needs while providing the flexibility to investigate emerging biomarkers and future applications.

About the Speaker

Dr. Rita Shaknovich is a physician-scientist with more than 20 years of leadership experience across academia and the biomedical industry. She began her career in pathology and led a cancer research laboratory at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, where her work focused on the mechanisms of epigenetic deregulation in cancer. She later served as Chief Medical Officer at Cancer Genetics and as Head of Clinical Laboratories at GRAIL, contributing to the development and launch of one of the first multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests. Today, as Chief Medical Officer of Agilent's Life Sciences & Diagnostics Group, she helps guide the company's medical strategy and scientific leadership in genomics and oncology.

Henry Paridaens, MD

Head of Department, Clinical Biology & Molecular Biology Laboratory, CHR de la Citadelle, Liège, Belgium

Detection of gene fusions and splice variants plays an important role in molecular oncology workflows, yet RNA sequencing implementation can be challenging due to the complexity and hands-on requirements of traditional library preparation methods.

In this presentation, Dr. Henry Paridaens will share the experience of implementing an automated RNA sequencing workflow in an ISO 15189-accredited clinical laboratory. The session will cover the validation strategy, accreditation process, bioinformatics integration, and operational considerations required to deploy the workflow in routine practice.

Participants will learn how automation, workflow standardization, and integrated analysis approaches supported the laboratory's implementation journey while significantly reducing manual intervention and improving operational efficiency. The presentation will also highlight key lessons learned and practical recommendations for laboratories considering similar initiatives.

About the Speaker

Dr. Henry Paridaens is Head of the Department of Clinical Biology and the Molecular Biology Laboratory at CHR de la Citadelle in Liège, Belgium. His work focuses on solid tumour molecular diagnostics, combining NGS, rapid qPCR, and digital PCR, with a particular interest in liquid biopsy and reducing turnaround times while maintaining analytical quality. He led the ISO 15189 accreditation of the laboratory's NGS and RNA panels and serves as a BELAC technical auditor for molecular biology.

Matthias Kopf, PhD

Head of Oncology Acceleration, SeqOne

Molecular laboratories increasingly rely on next-generation sequencing to support oncology research, generating complex datasets that require efficient and reliable interpretation. As testing menus expand and biomarker requirements continue to evolve, laboratories need scalable analysis solutions capable of consolidating multiple workflows within a single environment.

In this session, Matthias Kopf will provide an overview of SeqOne's vision for somatic oncology analysis and discuss how integrated bioinformatics solutions can help streamline the path from sequencing data to meaningful insights. He will explore approaches for detecting and interpreting a broad range of genomic alterations, including SNVs, CNVs, structural variants, gene fusions, and key molecular biomarkers.

The session will conclude with a look at upcoming developments and future priorities in oncology data analysis, offering attendees a perspective on how molecular laboratories can prepare for growing analytical demands while maintaining efficiency and consistency.

About the Speaker

Matthias Kopf is Head of Oncology Acceleration at SeqOne, where he works across product and commercial teams to advance the company's somatic oncology offering. He brings more than a decade of experience in oncology clinical decision-support solutions and previously held product and business leadership responsibilities for oncology analysis software. He holds a PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Freiburg.