Forbeck on the Forefront

Forbeck Foundation
  • 5.0 (2)
  • SCIENCE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Forbeck on the Forefront explores the breakthroughs shaping the future of cancer research. Hosted by the Forbeck Foundation, each episode features leading scientists and innovators discussing bold ideas, emerging technologies, and the power of collaboration driving real progress in cancer science and discovery.

Episodes

  1. 12/10/2025

    The Death of Cancer Cells

    In this episode, we take a deep dive into the findings from a recent Forbeck Forum on Cell Death in Cancer Therapy, chaired by Kristopher Sarosiek, PhD (Harvard) and Cristina Muñoz-Pinedo, PhD (IDIBELL). The discussion explores—in accessible, lay-friendly terms—how cancer treatments ultimately work by killing cancer cells, and why understanding the differences between cancer cell death and normal cell death is crucial for improving therapies. Drs. Sarosiek and Muñoz-Pinedo explained how various treatments trigger cell death, how the immune system can be activated or suppressed depending on the type of cell death, and why minimizing collateral damage to healthy tissues remains a central challenge. The conversation also covers: How the immune system recognizes dying cancer cells and why certain forms of cell death can “wake up” immune responses.Why some healthy cells can recover from therapy while others—like heart cells—cannot.Why cancer cells sometimes hide in specific niches, such as the bone marrow or low-oxygen (hypoxic) regions, and how this affects treatment resistance and relapse.Key themes from the meeting’s sessions, including immunogenic cell death, balancing tumor vs. healthy tissue toxicity, and uniting clinicians, basic researchers, and industry scientists.The growing intersection of immunology and cancer biology, and how new forms of therapy rely on understanding this relationship. Overall, the episode offers an insightful look at how researchers are rethinking cancer therapy by focusing not only on killing cancer cells, but on controlling how cells die—and how the immune system responds.

    19 min

  2. 11/07/2025

    Targeting Cancer Evolution

    In this podcast episode, we recap a Forbeck Forum that explored how cancer’s rapid evolution makes it so difficult to treat. Experts from experimental, computational, and clinical backgrounds discussed the fundamental principles of cancer evolution and potential therapeutic vulnerabilities. Across four sessions—covering everything from genetic mutations to chromosome instability and tumor population dynamics—they examined how cancers evolve at multiple genomic scales and develop resistance to therapy. With insights from cutting-edge tools like CRISPR, long-read sequencing, and single-cell analysis, the discussions highlighted how basic biology and clinical applications intersect. This episode captures the key takeaways, new ideas, and collaborative approaches that emerged from this unique gathering of cancer researchers.

    15 min

  3. 11/07/2025

    AI in Cancer Research and Drug Discovery

    AI is reshaping cancer research and drug discovery. In this podcast, Dr. Peter Winter (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard) and Dr. Barbara Engelhardt (Stanford University and Gladstone Institutes) explore how AI is helping identify drug targets, design better molecules, and accelerate the path to new treatments. They also dive into the challenges of data quality, model validation, and building collaborations between biologists and AI experts to push the field forward.

    15 min
  4. Foundation Overview

    11/06/2025

    Foundation Overview

    In this debut episode we dive deep into the Forbeck Foundation as it celebrates its 40‑year anniversary. Our hosts break down how the foundation’s unique, intimate “Forbeck Forums” bring together world‑leading cancer researchers in small, unconstrained gatherings—far from the usual massive conferences—to spark real‑time problem solving and accelerate breakthroughs. ‍ What you’ll hear Why intimacy beats scale: the power of small‑group collaboration for cutting‑edge cancer science.Highlights from the foundation’s flagship events—State of the Forbeck Webinar, the Ruby Gala, Blue‑Jean Ball, and a series of community fundraisers (golf outing, Como Crawl, pickleball/mahjong, Walk the Lake).A sneak peek at upcoming Forbeck Forums (topics such as persistence & apoptosis, cancer evolution, nucleosome biology, AI‑driven drug discovery, and more).‍ Join the Mission Support groundbreaking research and community events by donating to the Foundation. Every contribution funds the next breakthrough.

    14 min
  • 4 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Forbeck on the Forefront explores the breakthroughs shaping the future of cancer research. Hosted by the Forbeck Foundation, each episode features leading scientists and innovators discussing bold ideas, emerging technologies, and the power of collaboration driving real progress in cancer science and discovery.

Information

  • Creator
    Forbeck Foundation
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Forbeck Foundation
  • Show Website
    Forbeck on the Forefront

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