BUFFALO, NY – Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Department of Gynecologic Oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), will speak at the Education Session, “Immunology 101: Basic Concepts and Applications to Cancer Epidemiology,” at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), Saturday, April 1, 9 am–1 pm, Room 143, Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

Dr. Odunsi will discuss “Immunologic Markers of Cancer Progression and Prognosis.” His focus will be on the growing evidence for a link between the immune system and the control of cancer. He also will discuss strategies for designing human biomarker studies based on cellular and molecular components of the anti-tumor immune response.

Dr. Odunsi’s research interests include the molecular characterization of tumor antigens in ovarian cancer and their application to the development of vaccine therapies for the disease. He is an active member of the Cancer Vaccine Collaborative Program of the Cancer Research Institute/Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and co-leader of the Tumor Immunology Program at RPCI.

AACR educational sessions provide a wide-ranging curriculum to reflect new knowledge in cancer research. These sessions are designed to be beneficial to early-career scientists and their senior counterparts who wish to update their knowledge of rapidly developing research areas. The AACR annual meeting is the world’s largest and most comprehensive gathering of professionals in the cancer field, sharing the common goal of advancing knowledge in the prevention, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. Members include more than 24,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers, health care professionals, and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and in more than 60 other countries.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.