2026 New York Regional Symposium
The 2026 New York Cholangiocarcinoma Symposium is set to convene in NYC, drawing together leading experts, researchers, healthcare professionals, patients, and advocates.
This event promises to be a crucial platform for sharing the latest advancements and addressing the challenges in cholangiocarcinoma research and treatment.
More information to come soon!
When:
January 23, 2026
Time:
8:00am – 4:00pm
Where:
NYU Langone Health
Murphy Auditorium
550 1st Avenue at 31st Street
New York, NY 10016
Speakers
Melinda Bachini
Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation
Melinda Bachini
Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation
Melinda Bachini is a 15-year survivor of cholangiocarcinoma. She was treated at the National Cancer Institute with a clinical trial using Adoptive Cell Therapy.
Melinda is married and the mother of six children, grandmother to two, and two more on the way. She is passionate about patient advocacy and uses her experience with previous and current treatments to give great insight into patients participating in clinical trials. She shares her story with as many cancer patients as possible in hopes of giving support to those in need.
Melinda served as a patient advocate for the NCI Hepatobiliary Task Force, the NCI Patient Advocate Steering Committee (PASC) from April 2016 to December 2022. She is a patient advocate for the ECOG-ACRIN GI Committee, ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Advocacy Committee, the NCI Council of Research Advocates, and the NCCN Hepatobiliary Guidelines Panel.
Rebecca Guterman, MS, RD, CSO, CDN
Rebecca Guterman, MS, RD, CSO, CDN
Rebecca Guterman is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center. She earned her master’s degree in nutrition from Stony Brook University and is a Certified Dietitian Nutritionist in New York State.
She provides evidence-based nutrition care for cancer patients, with a focus on gastrointestinal diseases. A firm believer in food as medicine, Rebecca helps patients manage treatment-related symptoms and incorporate practical, healthful eating strategies that align with their individual needs and tolerances.
Karim Halazun, MD
Karim Halazun, MD
Inspired by my father, a pediatrician, I was drawn to medicine at an early age. While a medical student in the United Kingdom, I found my calling in liver surgery after witnessing one of the world’s first auxiliary liver transplants in 1999, an experience that shaped my lifelong focus on treating liver cancer and liver failure.
As surgical director of the Adult Liver Transplant Program and section chief of Hepatobiliary Surgery at NYU Langone, I care for patients with liver and bile duct cancers, liver metastases, gallbladder cancer, and liver failure requiring transplantation. Treatment often involves advanced liver resection, transplantation, or both.
I prioritize minimally invasive and robotic liver surgery when possible and also specialize in biliary surgery, complex open liver surgery, and liver transplantation, including living donor transplants. My team is committed to delivering personalized, multidisciplinary care, and the most fulfilling part of my work is helping patients through some of the most challenging moments of their lives.
James Harding, MD
James Harding, MD
I am a board-certified medical oncologist who specializes in caring for people with liver cancer, gallbladder cancer, and bile duct cancer, as well as other gastrointestinal cancers. My primary goal is to provide the best possible treatment and individualized care for people with these diseases. I work closely with a team of surgeons, radiation oncologists, and other medical professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancer.
Brock Hewitt MD, MPH
Brock Hewitt MD, MPH
As a hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon at NYU’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, I provide patient-centered care focused on precision, empathy, and clear communication. I listen closely to my patients, address their concerns, and explain treatment options in an accessible way.
I treat complex diseases of the liver, bile ducts, pancreas, and stomach, including both cancerous and noncancerous conditions. At NYU Langone, our team advances care through innovations such as robotic-assisted surgery and histotripsy, a noninvasive ultrasound-based treatment for liver tumors that preserves healthy tissue.
I am also involved in research to improve surgical outcomes, including leading studies on the safe integration of artificial intelligence to better predict and prevent complications. It is a privilege to care for patients at a leading medical center committed to innovation and comprehensive care.
Tanya Jennison, RN
Tanya Jennison, RN
I was diagnosed with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in December 2019, a life-changing moment that reshaped my perspective and deepened my appreciation for resilience, community, and purpose. Alongside navigating cancer, I continue to work full-time as a registered nurse, a role that allows me to care for others with empathy informed by my own experience as a patient.
I am a mom of four, including two adult children and two teenage step-children, and family is at the center of my life. I live in central New York, where the natural beauty of the region fuels my love for the outdoors, especially hiking and snowmobiling. In December 2024, I became engaged, and while wedding plans are still taking shape, a mountaintop ceremony seems likely.
Outside of work and family life, I have trained in Muay Thai kickboxing for 15 years and have been teaching classes at my dojo for nearly a decade, a passion that often surprises people and keeps me grounded, strong, and focused.
Flavio Rocha, MD, FACS, FSSO
Oregon Health & Science University
Flavio Rocha, MD, FACS, FSSO
Oregon Health & Science University
Dr. Rocha is a surgical oncologist and hepatopancreatobiliary surgeon in the Section of General, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. In addition he is the Director of Research in the Digestive Disease Institute and Associate Medical Director of the Floyd and Delores Jones Cancer Institute. He holds an appointment as a Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at the University of Washington and Clinical Professor of Medical Education and Clinical Sciences at Washington State University. After attending the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, Dr. Rocha completed a residency in general surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a postdoctoral research fellowship in tissue engineering at Harvard Medical School, both in Boston. After residency, he served as a surgical oncology and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery fellow at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. His clinical practice encompasses all aspects of benign and malignant disease of the liver, bile ducts and pancreas. As an investigator at the Benaroya Research Institute in Seattle, his research is focused on biomarker discovery and novel therapeutics in pancreaticobiliary cancer. He has been funded by ASCO and the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. He currently sits on the editorial boards of HPB, Annals of Surgical Oncology, Journal of Surgical Oncology and PLoS ONE. In addition, he is the current Chair of the Membership Committee in the AHPBA and Vice-Chair of the SWOG Surgery Committee. Lastly, he has served on the Pancreas Task Force at the NCI and is the surgical lead of the International Cholangiocarcinoma Research Network.
(Liquid Biopsy Initiative Group)
“I am always amazed by the courage of my patients, particularly in the face of adversity.”
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am surgical oncologist with a both a clinical and research focus in tumors of the liver, biliary tract and pancreas. I serve as the Division Head of Surgical Oncology at Oregon Health and Science University and Physician-in-Chief of the Knight Cancer Institute, both in Portland, OR. In my spare time, I like to travel and take photographs particularly in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my family and golden retriever. Originally from Brazil, I do enjoy the beach and am an avid soccer fan.
Can you share one or two of your specific research interests?
My interests lie in biomarker discovery and validation for pancreatobiliary cancers. Their use for early detection, response to therapy and prognostic evaluation can help us improve our treatment modalities. I am also heavily involved in the NCTN Cooperative Groups in order to help design and execute novel therapeutic trials particularly in the localized space.
Why did you decide to specialize in hepatobiliary cancers?
As a trainee, I was attracted to the complexities of the anatomy and physiology of the liver and pancreas. These were also the most challenging operations to perform and master in the abdomen. Lastly, I felt this was a disease where I could perhaps make the most impact.
Can you describe one of the unforgettable moments in your patients care or research that has impacted your career?
I am always amazed by the courage of my patients, particularly in the face of adversity.
Can you tell us one thing collaboration with colleagues could accomplish that you could not accomplish on your own?
The neoadjuvant chemotherapy trial for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is a great example of an ICRN effort that could not have been accomplished in any one institution.
If you had access to one resource that would move your research forward, what would that resource be?
We are always looking for funding and also to be able to expand clinical trials abroad, particularly in Asia.
How did you learn about the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation?
I was fortunate to receive the inaugural ASCO Young Investigator Award sponsored by the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. This initial support lead to my ability to dedicate my career to the field.
Can you tell us why you became a member of the ICRN?
In order to connect with my fellow colleagues around the country and the world especially those in different oncologic specialties. We have been able to perform studies, launch efforts and complete clinical trials with the dedication and support of the ICRN.
Kristen Spencer, DO
NYU
Kristen Spencer, DO
NYU
I lost my mother to metastatic colorectal cancer when I was eight years old—conquering cancer has been my life’s mission.
I am the director of the Phase 1 Program at NYU Langone Perlmutter Cancer Center. We assess the effectiveness of immunotherapies, targeted therapies, and other cancer treatments when they are in the earliest stage of their clinical trials. My mission is to ensure access to innovative cancer treatments for all patients, so researchers can continue to move the needle in cancer care. Access to new therapies was a cornerstone of my mother’s treatment, and early phase research has the potential to find answers where there may not have been any before.
My own research focus is on the treatment of tumors of the pancreas and hepatobiliary system, which includes the liver, bile ducts, and gallbladder. I am the author or co-author of several publications, reviews, book chapters, and abstracts reporting on these cancers. I have also published on my clinical experience with immunotherapy. I have specialty research training through the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program Advanced Drug Development Fellowship and the American Association for Cancer Research and American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Methods in Clinical Cancer Research Workshop.
My research and training inform my clinical care. As a member of the Gastrointestinal Disease Management Group at Perlmutter Cancer Center, I primarily see patients who have pancreatic and hepatobiliary tumors. I also manage esophageal, small intestine, colorectal, and other cancers of the digestive tract. I consider my patients to be partners in the decision-making process, and I respect their choices. I work closely with a team of surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, nurses, social workers, nutritionists, genetic specialists, and other health providers to help patients understand their condition. In addition, I take a holistic approach to care, placing an emphasis on quality of life and complementary therapies.
On a national level, I am chair of the Genomics Subcommittee of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group. I am also chair of the ECOG-ACRIN hepatopancreatobiliary working group and a member of the organization’s Task Force on Advancement for Women. Additionally, I am on the National Cancer Institute Gastrointestinal Steering Committee’s Hepatobiliary Task Force.
Alejandro Torres-Hernandez, MD
Alejandro Torres-Hernandez, MD
As a transplant surgeon at NYU Langone, I specialize in treating benign and malignant diseases of the liver and bile ducts, including hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, pancreatic and gallbladder cancers, and liver metastases. I provide personalized, patient-centered care using advanced surgical techniques such as minimally invasive and robotic surgery, liver transplantation, pancreas surgery, and the Whipple procedure.
A New York City native, I completed my education and surgical residency at NYU Langone and now serve as an attending surgeon and clinical assistant professor of surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. I pursued advanced fellowship training in abdominal transplant and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery at Toronto General Hospital, with additional specialization in pediatric liver transplantation at SickKids. The most rewarding aspect of my work is seeing patients recover and return home after successful surgery.
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