Fralin Biomedical Research Institute scientist to chair premier cancer conference

Jennifer Munson, associate professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, will preside as co-chair of the prestigious Physical Science of Cancer Gordon Research Conference.

Several members of her lab were also accepted to attend the conference, which begins Feb. 5 in Galveston, Texas.

Munson was elected to the position by her peers in cancer research along with David Odde, a professor at the University of Minnesota.

“It’s quite an honor to be able to chair a Gordon Research Conference,” said Munson, who is also an associate professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics. “These are important gatherings of leading and up-and-coming researchers, and it’s a privilege to play a leading role for such a distinguished group of colleagues.”

The Gordon Research Conference series dates to 1931. The organization annually brings together 40,000 scientists at nearly 400 conferences and seminars around the world, each highlighting the latest, cutting-edge research in a wide range of scientific fields. Each conference is limited to 200 attendees, who must apply to attend.

Munson is a biomedical engineer and cancer researcher whose work focuses on how fluid moving through human tissues, including tumors, affects cancer growth.

Monet Roberts, assistant professor the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics and until recently a postdoctoral associate in Munson’s lab, was selected deliver a talk at the conference.

Caleb Stine, senior research associate in the Munson Lab, will present at a symposium immediately preceding the conference. Research scientist Jessica Cunningham, postdoctoral associate Gabriela Mendes, and graduate student Cora Esparza, will all present posters at the conference.

“This is a really important opportunity for my lab members,” Munson said, “because it allows them to meet and showcase their research to the leaders in the field.”