Day 1

Highlights of the Day:

Pre-Conference Workshops at Gillings School of Public Health focused on critical methods and approaches in diverse aspects of cancer research.

• Methods in Microbiome Research in 2019

Scott Bultman, PhD, presented a workshop that focused on current microbiome research and presented new and innovative methods and applications in the field, including sequencing and computational methods and gnotobiotic mouse models.

• Methodological Approaches to Energy Balance, Metabolism and Cancer Research

Stephen Hursting, PhD, led a discussion centered on new methodologies for investigating links between energy balance, metabolism, and cancer, with emphasis on integrating preclinical and human studies, mouse models of genetic heterogeneity, and the crosstalk between systemic and cancer cell metabolism.

• eHealth/mHealth Approaches to Weight Management and Physical Activity Promotion

Deborah Tate, PhD, and Carmina Valle, PhD, MPH, co-chaired a session about the use of emerging technologies for helping people manage weight and engage in physical activity.

Opening Plenary Session

Beyond the Blueprint – Diet, Obesity, Physical Activity, and Cancer, hosted by co-chairs Stephen Hursting, PhD, and Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD.

Poster Session: Cancer Risk and Prevention

Nearly 40 researchers from around the world presented posters featuring the latest research focused on factors that influence cancer risk and identifying ways to prevent cancer.

The poster on “Development and performance of a healthy cooking behavior index across multiple data collection methods,” was awarded the Conference Scholarship.

Day 2

Karen Collins, Nutrition Advisor to American Institute for Cancer Research, received the AICR Distinguished Service Award for her 30 years of outstanding dedication to providing evidence-based advice, and empowering audiences by putting complex information into perspective.

Dr. Steven Zeisel, Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, also received the Distinguished Service Award for his leadership in the field of nutrition and cancer research, his role in securing the AICR partnership with University of North Carolina, and his dedication to AICR’s mission and work.

Highlights of the Day:

Breakfast Session led by Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD, and Jill Reedy, PhD, RD, described new technologies and approaches for assessing body composition and the new cancer prevention and lifestyle guidelines.

Plenary Session led by Cynthia Thomson, PhD, RD, and Kerri Winters-Stone, PhD, led to an engaging discussion on mitigating the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment through diet, exercise, and weight management.

Split Sessions led by Scott Bultman, PhD, Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD, and Andrew Dannenberg, MD, focused on inflammatory and immune-related mechanisms underlying lifestyle-cancer links and on the importance of disseminating and implementing the science related to diet, physical activity, and cancer risk.

Poster Session: Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship

Nearly 50 researchers from around the world presented posters featuring the latest research on factors that influence cancer outcomes and survivorship.

Day 3

Highlights of the Day:

John Milner Poster award in cancer prevention category went to Fiona Malcomson of Newcastle University, UK for her poster titled: “Adherence to the WCRF/AICR cancer prevention recommendations and colorectal cancer risk: Underlying mechanisms in the healthy human colorectal mucosa.”

Deirdre McGinley-Gieser, Senior Vice President of AICR, presented the two John Milner poster awards during the closing plenary of the conference. The poster award is given in honor of John A. Milner who was a tireless champion of nutrition and cancer research and a great believer in mentoring and supporting the next generation of researchers. The poster prizes are by convention awarded to postdoctoral scholars participating in the AICR conference.

John Milner award for poster in cancer survivorship category went to Dieuwertje Kok of Wageningen University & Research Arnhem, Netherlands, for her poster titled: “Dietary and supplemental intake of folate and risk of chemotherapy induced toxicities in colorectal cancer patients.”