September 10th, 2026
2026 DFCI-TPD In Person Meeting
12.00 – 12.30 pm Arrival, Registration and Boxed lunch
12:30 – 12:40 pm Welcome Remarks
Dana-Farber Targeted Protein Degradation Organizing Committee Mikołaj Słabicki, Katherine Donovan
12:40 – 1:40 pm Keynote: Jay Bradner, AMGEN, host: Katherine Donovan
Therapeutic Modularity | Induced Proximity Therapeutics
1:40 – 2:10 pm William Gibson, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, host: Hubert Huang
TBC
2:10 – 2:40 pm Yufei Xu, Astellas, host: John Che
Discovery of KRAS Degraders and Expansion of TPD to Challenging Targets
2:40 – 3:10 pm Radek Nowak, University of Bonn, host: Mikołaj Słabicki
Targeting transcription factors for degradation
3:10 – 3:40 pm Light snack / Coffee break
3:40 – 4:10 pm Sara Buhrlage, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, host: Breanna Zerfas
Pharmacologic interrogation of USP28 cellular function in p53 signaling reveals new therapeutic opportunity
4:10 – 4:40 pm Michael Erb, Scripps, host: Hubert Huang
Rewiring DNA repair with PARP-based chemical inducers of proximity
4:40 – 5:10 pm Samuel Ojeda, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, host: Sean Gao
Degron-independent recruitment of KAT2A expands the target space of CRBN molecular glues
5:10 – 5:40 pm Daniel La, Triana, host: Breanna Zerfas
Discovery of TRI-611, a Selective, CNS-Penetrant Molecular Glue Degrader for ALK-Positive NSCLC
5:40 – 7:00 pm Reception (Appetizers and Open Bar)
Event Location: Linda K. Paresky Conference Center, Simmons University 300 Fenway Boston, MA 02115.
There is a limited number of registration slots available and is based on the seminar room capacity. Registration will work on a first come first served basis. Registration is free of charge, but please cancel your registration (drop line to DFCI.TPD@gmail.com) if you cannot join to open space for others.
Event organized by:
Dana-Farber Targeted Protein Degradation Organizing Committee
Mikołaj Słabicki, Katherine Donovan, Breanna Zerfas, Hubert Huang, John Che, Sean Gao
Sponsored by:
September 24th, 2026
Host: Hubert
DCAF11-dependent molecular glue degrader activated by glutathionylation
Hojong Yoon
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Hojong Yoon is an assistant professor in the Department of Experimental Therapeutics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and an assistant member of the James P. Allison Institute.
He received his PhD in Chemical Biology from Harvard University, where he trained under Dr. Eric Fischer and Dr. Nathanael Gray. As a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Benjamin Ebert at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute, he developed approaches to systematically identify molecular glues and uncovered new mechanisms of their mode of action.
In 2025, Hojong started his independent research group at MD Anderson, and his laboratory leverages chemical biology and proximity pharmacology to discover small molecules that induce novel protein-protein interactions, expanding the scope of therapeutic intervention and redefining druggability.
Franziska Wachter
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Franziska Wachter is a pediatric oncologist and physician–scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that govern transcriptional control in normal development and cancer, with particular emphasis on how protein complexes and chromatin regulators establish and maintain aberrant cell states. She integrates structural biology, chemical biology, and functional genomics to identify mechanisms of transcriptional dysregulation and uncover new therapeutic opportunities. Supported by an NIGMS K99/R00 award, she is currently transitioning to independence and establishing a research program centered on the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in cancer.
Michelle Estrada
Abbvie
Decoding E3 Ligase Ligand Discovery: Challenges, Insights, and Lessons Learned
Michelle earned her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Colorado State University under the mentorship of Prof. Robert M. Williams, where her research focused on the synthesis of complex natural products. During graduate school, she was awarded both the NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Minority Chemist Program Graduate Fellowship. In 2014, she joined the University of Pennsylvania as the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow for Academic Diversity in Prof. Jeffrey D. Winkler’s laboratory, where she continued developing biologically active natural products and analogs.
Michelle transitioned to industry as a Scientist in Medicinal Chemistry at Peloton Therapeutics, contributing to small-molecule oncology drug discovery programs. In 2019, she joined AbbVie as a Senior Scientist on the Protein Degradation Platform Team, where she leveraged fragment-based drug discovery, DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening, high-throughput screening, and structure-based drug design to identify and advance novel chemical matter. In 2024, she served as member on the ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters Early Career Board. Michelle is currently part of AbbVie’s Global Medicinal Chemistry team.
Throughout her career, Michelle has applied her expertise in synthetic organic chemistry to address complex challenges across emerging therapeutic modalities and drug discovery platforms. Outside of work, she enjoys fishing for king salmon and trout on Lake Michigan.