Pepperdine University to Host Inaugural Pepperdine Oncology Symposium
On Wednesday, February 25, 2026, Pepperdine University’s Seaver College will host its inaugural Pepperdine Oncology Symposium at its Malibu campus. This event will gather leading experts, physicians, researchers, and students for a day of collaboration and learning centered around innovations in cancer therapy.
“Pepperdine’s inaugural Oncology Symposium reflects our deep commitment to rigorous science, meaningful collaboration, and human flourishing,” said Dee Anna Smith, chair of the Pepperdine Board of Regents. “We’re thrilled to convene experts, clinicians, and students as we advance learning — and, ultimately, work to better serve patients and families."
The symposium will open with a keynote address from Julie Gralow, the executive vice president and chief medical officer for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Gralow supervises ASCO’s Center for Research and Analytics, Policy and Advocacy, Care Delivery Department, and Center for Global Impact. Through this role, she serves on the front lines of cancer care, striving to improve the lives of those with the illness.
Teri Pollastro, a cancer patient of Gralow’s, will offer a patient testimony after the keynote address. This specific sequence of events is designed to highlight the express purpose of the Pepperdine Oncology Symposium—“the lives touched and transformed by innovation in cancer care.”
The morning session of the event will conclude with a “Leaders in Drug Development” panel. This segment will feature Sara Hurvitz, a medical oncologist and clinical research leader at the University of Washington School of Medicine; Andrew McKenzie, Sarah Cannon Research Institute’s vice president of Personalized Medicine program; Shahryar Ashouri, clinical professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles; and Lindsey Murphy (’10), pediatric hematologist-oncologist at City of Hope’s Duarte Cancer Center. These distinguished guests will discuss current cancer treatments, as well as the developments being made in research labs around the globe.
“My main hope for the event is that people leave feeling inspired,” says Madison Johnson, a Seaver College senior and one of the main symposium organizers. “I specifically hope that students looking to become doctors in the field of oncology learn a bit about how these speakers and panelists got where they are and are encouraged by their path.”
Johnson, a biology/pre-med major at Seaver College, has studied and researched cancer treatments throughout her time at Pepperdine. She was inspired to launch the inaugural oncology symposium after interacting with clinical researchers and physicians during her internships at the German Cancer Research Center and Sarah Cannon Research Institute.
Undergraduates like Johnson will also have a voice at the event. The day will conclude with student presentations, where aspiring researchers, physicians, and oncology experts can share their novel findings with the wide range of attendees.
“I think it's always exciting and worthwhile to communicate science to not just scientists, but a broader audience,” says Johnson. “That way, everyone gets a glimpse of what's going on.”
The event’s intentional focus on involving undergraduates aligns with Pepperdine’s mission of equipping students to be purpose-driven leaders. More specifically, Seaver College’s Natural Science Division is supporting the symposium in hopes that it inspires even more student involvement in the campus’ ongoing oncology research.
"I hope that the oncology symposium is an opportunity for science and pre-health students to be exposed to the latest in drug development and cancer treatments,” said Tim Lucas, Seaver College’s divisional dean of natural science. “With that, I am hopeful that the undergraduate presentations inspire other students to join our oncology-related research labs as well as apply for outside summer programs."
The Pepperdine Oncology Symposium is free to attend and open to the public. Learn more and register to participate.