Join us for the 8th Annual Hematologic Malignancies Symposium and Genomics Workshop

Join leading clinicians, researchers, and industry experts for the 8th Annual Hematologic Malignancies Symposium & Genomics Workshop — a two-day meeting exploring the future of blood cancer care through the lens of genomics, artificial intelligence, and health equity.

This year’s program features in-depth sessions on racial and ethnic disparities in malignant hematology, AI and computational biology in AML and MDS, and translational updates across myeloid, lymphoid, and myeloma malignancies. Through expert lectures, panel discussions, and interactive case presentations, attendees will gain practical insights into the science shaping tomorrow’s precision therapies.

Continuing education credit (CME/CE/MOC) will be available — details to follow.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with peers and pioneers advancing innovation and equity in hematologic oncology.

The Event

May 7-8, 2026

Location

8th Annual Hematologic Malignancies Symposium and Genomics Workshop

The Westin Tampa Waterside
725 South Harbour Island Blvd
Tampa, FL

Oasis Ballroom

JW Marriott Water Street
510 Water Street
Tampa, FL 33602

Register Now!

prices

8th Annual Hematologic Malignancies Symposium and Genomics Workshop

TGH Faculty, Residents and Fellows

Residents, Fellows, Medical Students, Postdoctoral Scholars, and Researchers

JW Marriott Water Street
510 Water Street
Tampa, FL 33602

Prices

Academic, Government, Non-Profit

$99

Vendor/Technology Provider

Contact Bonnie Duggan

Steering Committee

Maher Albitar, MD

Chief Executive Officer
Genomic Testing Cooperative
Professor
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

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Maher Albitar, MD

Chief Executive Officer
Genomic Testing Cooperative
Professor
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine

Dr. Albitar has extensive experience in anatomic/clinical pathology, hematopathology, and molecular pathology. He also has extensive business and administrative experience as an executive leader of large laboratories, Board member, and director of large scientific and genomic diagnostic studies. Until recently, Dr. Albitar was the Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Director of Research and Development at NeoGenomics.

He is credited with transforming the NeoGenomics Laboratories from FISH testing company to a company offering the most sophisticated molecular testing. Prior to NeoGenomics, Dr. Albitar served as the Medical Director for Hematopathology and Oncology, Nichols Institute, Quest Diagnostics, and Chief R&D for Hematopathology and Oncology for Quest Diagnostics from 2003 to 2010. From 1991 to 2003, Dr. Albitar held various faculty positions at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, including Section Chief of Leukemia Section in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology Department, Director of the molecular laboratory and Director of Hematopathology Fellowship program.

Dr. Albitar was a tenured full professor in Pathology and Leukemia at the time of leaving MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Albitar is certified AP/CP pathologist with fellowship training in Hematopathology and molecular pathology. After his training in Hematopathology, Dr. Albitar spent 4 years in Physician/Scientist training program at the University of Pennsylvania/Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Genetics. Dr. Albitar has published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and review articles. He is the lead inventor on more than 50 different patents and patent applications.

Andre Goy, MD

Vice President Physician-in-Chief Oncology
John Theurer Cancer Center

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Andre Goy, MD

Vice President Physician-in-Chief Oncology
Chairman & Chief Physician Officer - John Theurer Cancer Center
Lydia Pfund Chair for Lymphoma
Academic Chairman Oncology- Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Professor of Medicine – Georgetown University

Andre Goy, M.D. is Physician-in-Chief for Hackensack Meridian Health Oncology Services and Chairman of John Theurer Cancer Center as well as Founding Chair of Oncology at the Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) School of Medicine and Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

HMH is New Jersey’s largest healthcare system (18 hospitals and over 38,000 employees), and John Theurer Cancer Center, its flagship cancer program, is recognized as the state’s largest and #1 in New Jersey, as well as among the Top 50 cancer programs by U.S. News & World Report.

JTCC is a member of the NCI-designated Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Consortium and also a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering / MSKCC - Hackensack Meridian Health partnership.

Dr. Goy also leads the Lymphoma Program at JTCC and is widely known for his work, particularly in aggressive lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma, especially around novel therapies, immunotherapy, and CAR T cells. He has served on the NCI steering committee for lymphoma and on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Lymphoma Research Foundation. Dr. Goy has published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers and serves as a reviewer for many journals in the field, including the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Blood, among others.

Dr. Goy brought best-in-class genomics liquid biopsy technology platforms to support precision and personalized medicine in cancer patients. He is a co-founder of COTA Healthcare, an analytics company focused on improving treatment decisions in cancer care, enhancing patient outcomes, and providing clarity for physicians and patients at the point of care.

In collaboration with Steven Rosenberg, Chief of Surgery and Immunology at the NCI, Dr. Goy led efforts to bring CAR T-cell therapy—one of the most transformative cancer therapies in over three decades—to John Theurer Cancer Center, making it a pioneer in gene and living cell therapies. He believes the future of cancer treatment will increasingly rely on cell therapy rather than traditional pharmaceuticals, empowering the immune system to cure cancer.

Dr. Goy believes we are at an inflection point in medicine due to rapid advances in science and technology reshaping healthcare. He co-chaired the Global Council on the Future of Health and Healthcare for the World Economic Forum from 2015 to 2019 and has participated in WEF meetings annually.

Because cancer is a complex, costly, and growing global challenge—with incidence expected to rise by over 60% in the next 25 years—Dr. Goy believes cancer care can serve as a model for reinventing healthcare delivery. He launched initiatives focused on cancer prevention (Pre-Cancer) and recurrence prevention (Post-Cancer), while also advancing home-based chemotherapy and patient-centered recovery strategies.

He strongly advocates lifestyle interventions, recommending exercise for all patients and emphasizing the importance of nutrition. He established a nutrition program with a demonstration kitchen to teach patients how to cook and support long-term health. He also promotes plant-based diets, which have shown strong results in improving patient outcomes and reducing medication dependence.

Dr. Goy believes future medicine will focus increasingly on preventive and proactive care, supported by molecular monitoring and lifestyle-based interventions. He notes that up to 50% of cancers are preventable through lifestyle changes, which can also reduce chronic diseases and healthcare costs.

He emphasizes the importance of the microbiome, noting that nearly half of the body’s cells are non-human microorganisms that play a critical role in metabolism and immune function.

Dr. Goy believes that in the future, food will increasingly be recognized as medicine.

Finally, Dr. Goy founded the cancer survivorship event “Celebrating Life and Liberty” in 2009, which has grown to include thousands of patients and caregivers, with notable supporters including Aretha Franklin.

After completing medical school at the University Joseph Fourier School of Medicine in Grenoble, France, Dr. Goy trained in Hematology/Oncology and Immunology at the University Hospital System and Pasteur Institute in Paris. He later served on faculty at Memorial Sloan Kettering and MD Anderson Cancer Center for over 15 years before joining Hackensack Meridian Health. He is currently enrolled in the MIT Executive MBA program, Class of 2026.

Gustavo Rivero, MD

Director, Translational Research for Hematologic Malignancies
Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute

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Gustavo Rivero, MD

Director
Translational Research for Hematologic Malignancies
Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute

Dr. Rivero is a hematologist oncologist and translational scientist at Tampa General Hospital. Prior to joining Tampa General, he served as an associate professor in hematology and oncology at Baylor College of Medicine and Georgetown University School of Medicine. A distinguished translational scientist, Dr. Rivero focuses on advancing treatments for myeloid malignancies, including Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML), Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN).

Dr. Rivero’s research is not just about understanding the mechanisms that initiate leukemia, but also about pushing the boundaries of what is possible. His recent discovery of a novel age-related nucleotide modification prevalent in AML is a testament to his commitment to innovation. Dr. Rivero’s team is also investigating how leukemia induces immunogenicity to develop innovative cellular and vaccine-based treatments to prevent and combat these disorders.

Dr. Rivero completed his advanced training in hematology and oncology at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland.

His board certifications include Internal Medicine and Hematology. He earned his medical degree from Francisco de Miranda University in Coro, Venezuela, and completed his internship and residency at J. Stroger Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, Illinois.

Eduardo Sotomayor, MD

Executive Director
Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute

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Eduardo Sotomayor, MD

Executive Director
Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute

Dr. Sotomayor is the director of the newly established Cancer Institute at Tampa General Hospital. He is a pioneer in the field of cancer immunology and immunotherapy and an internationally renowned expert in lymphoma research and treatment. Prior to joining Tampa General, he was the director of the George Washington University Cancer Center with responsibility and authority over all aspects of cancer care and research at GW and affiliated health systems. He was also a professor of medicine in the division of hematology/oncology at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Dr. Sotomayor has returned to Tampa, where he previously had a highly productive 15-year tenure with Moffitt Cancer Center. He served as the Susan and John Sykes Endowed Chair of Hematologic Malignancies and chair of the department of malignant hematology. In addition, he was the scientific director of the DeBartolo Family Personalized Medicine Institute at Moffitt Cancer Center. He also guided future medical professionals as a professor in the University of South Florida College of Medicine’s departments of oncologic sciences, and pathology and cell biology.

David Swoboda, MD

Director, Leukemia Program
Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute

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David Swoboda, MD

Director
Leukemia Program
Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute

Dr. David M. Swoboda is Director of the Leukemia Program at Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute and Assistant Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He is a malignant hematologist whose clinical and research work focuses on acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, and related myeloid malignancies, with an emphasis on translational clinical investigation, precision medicine, and innovative care delivery.

In addition to his clinical and academic leadership, Dr. Swoboda has played an active role in advancing innovation at Tampa General Hospital, including initiatives related to TGH at Home and the development of new care models for patients with hematologic malignancies. He has also emerged as a leader in the application of artificial intelligence to oncology, with work focused on multi-agent AI systems, virtual tumor boards, and agentic clinical decision support platforms designed to enhance expert-level decision-making in leukemia and related disorders.

Board-certified in internal medicine, hematology, and medical oncology, Dr. Swoboda completed his residency and chief residency at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and his fellowship in hematology and oncology at the University of South Florida and H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, where he also served as chief fellow. He earned his medical degree from the Florida State University College of Medicine.

As principal investigator on several clinical trials in myeloid malignancies, Dr. Swoboda is actively involved in advancing novel therapeutic strategies for patients with leukemia and related disorders. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, abstracts, and other scholarly works and is recognized for his contributions to leukemia care, translational research, and the responsible integration of emerging technologies into hematologic oncology.

Jennifer Varca

President
Genomic Testing Cooperative

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Jennifer Varca

President
Genomic Testing Cooperative

Jennifer Varca oversees business development strategy, Co-Op member recruitment, and joint venture partnerships for Genomic Testing Coopertive (GTC), bringing extensive commercial leadership experience across the diagnostics and home healthcare industries.

Before joining GTC, Jennifer led sales for the Health Systems Division of Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute, where she focused on advanced diagnostics and played a key role in shaping the region’s strategic growth initiatives.

Earlier in her career, she spent more than a decade as a Senior Executive at Maxim Healthcare Services, overseeing business development and the continuum of care for skilled nursing and home health programs nationwide.

Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, where she was a four-year member of the Women’s Division I Soccer Team.