Cancer Research Day
AI across the cancer continuum
Keith Administration Building (KAM), Mayer Auditorium
1975 Zonal Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033
and Pappas Quad · In person & virtual
Why come
A day to share your work, meet collaborators, and see what's happening across the Cancer Center.
See the whole landscape
Basic, translational, clinical, population, and community research, side by side in a single afternoon.
State of the science
A morning of talks and a keynote on this year's theme: AI across the cancer continuum.
Meet people outside your program
Cross-program conversations are the point of the day, not a side effect of it.
Support the next generation
For faculty: judge posters, meet prospective lab members, and hear where trainees are taking the science.
Agenda: AI across the cancer continuum
Directory
See who will be there, what they study, and who is open to a conversation. Browse ahead of time, or use it live during the poster session.
Every poster, in board order, with its location on Pappas Quad. Coffee Consult trainees can also request their match here.
Poster session
The afternoon poster session is open to everyone at the Cancer Center: faculty, staff, trainees, and research centers, across every program.
Submitting a poster
One form covers both registration and your poster submission.
Posters are grouped by research program around Pappas Quad. Your poster number tells you which side to look on — numbers run in order counterclockwise, starting on the Hoffman side.
Schematic only, not to scale. Board numbers are posted on the boards. Check-in is outside, at the staff table by the KAM steps. Download the printable map and poster listing (PDF)
Awards
Trainees and staff who present a poster are automatically entered. Posters are judged by faculty alongside judges from the Norris Cancer Survivorship Advisory Council, who select three winners — one of whom also receives Survivors' Choice.
What judges look for
- Scientific merit. The significance of the question and the soundness of the approach.
- Clarity of presentation. How well the poster and the presenter communicate the work.
- Originality. What is new about the approach or the findings.
- Overall impression. The judges' holistic view of the poster and the conversation.
First time at a poster session?
For trainees
Students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical fellows can take part in four ways, not just attend.
Two ways to keep the day going: Coffee Consult and Next in Science.
Questions? Reach out to Grace Kukuk at norriscrtec@usc.edu.
Present a poster
Open to everyone at the Center. Trainees and staff are eligible for the three $100 prizes. Submit when you register.
Poster details and awards →Volunteer
Help the day run smoothly, from check-in and wayfinding to the poster session. A great way to meet people across the Cancer Center. Email CRTEC at norriscrtec@usc.edu to sign up.
Stay connected
Sign up for the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) distribution list to receive our newsletter, Next in Science, and event invitations direct to your inbox.
Join the list →Coffee Consult
New for 2026. One conversation across the bench-to-bedside divide, arranged for you.
- Who it pairs
- One research trainee (PhD student or postdoctoral fellow) with one clinical trainee (clinical fellow, resident, or clinical doctoral student).
- What you talk about
- The clinical reasoning behind the science: what a finding would mean at the bedside, and what questions the clinic actually needs answered.
- How you get matched
- Coffee Consult pairs people who opted in when they registered; sign-ups are now closed. If you opted in, open the Coffee Consult tab in the directory, find someone on the other side, and request a match by Monday, Oct 19. CRTEC arranges every match, so nobody is cold-contacting anyone.
- If you opted in at registration, open the Coffee Consult tab in the directory, pick up to two people from the other group, and tap Request Coffee Consult. The first time, enter the email you registered with. You can request until Monday, Oct 19.
- Not presenting a poster?
- Come to the Coffee Consult table at the McKibben/Hoffman corner of Pappas Quad, 1:00–1:30 PM or 2:00–2:30 PM, to meet trainees from the other group in person.
- What happens next
- If you are matched, CRTEC emails you both with meeting guidance and a gift card, so you can meet for coffee or a beverage of your choice in the coming weeks.
Note: Coffee Consult sign-ups closed with registration, so the directory shows everyone currently taking part. Researchers cannot be added after the fact. Clinicians who missed sign-ups can still take part: check in at the staff table on Pappas Quad with Grace or Evanthia and we will add you.
Plan your visit
1975 Zonal Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033 · check-in, morning talks & featured session Pappas Quad
2003 Zonal Ave · posters & lunch USC Norris Cancer Center
1441 Eastlake Ave · main Cancer Center building
On Zonal Ave, USC Health Sciences Campus.
Get directions to Mayer Auditorium →
The essentials
Good to know
Can't make it in person?
Register as a virtual attendee to join the talks and featured session by livestream. The link goes live the morning of the event.
The morning talks and panels (9 AM–12:15 PM) stream live on Zoom.
You'll register with Zoom first, then get your personal join link on screen and by email.
Accessibility
The registration form asks about accommodations such as seating, interpreting, or materials. Email us any time.
Need seating, directions, or other help today? Ask any staff member at check-in or at the staff table on Pappas Quad.
Food & dietary needs
Lunch is provided on Pappas Quad. The registration form asks about dietary restrictions so we can plan for everyone.
Continental breakfast at check-in in the Mayer Auditorium Lobby. Lunch on Pappas Quad, 12:15–1:00 PM.
Register
Free to attend, in person or virtual. One form covers everything.