This event is being delivered in partnership with illumina.

Hear from Dr Pilar Ramos, PhD, illumina Senior Medical Affairs Manager, Europe Oncology; and Dr Magdalena Meissner, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Medical Oncology at Cardiff University, about advancing lung cancer treatment. This event will be chaired by Dr Sian Morgan.

Join us for an insightful session exploring how liquid biopsy is transforming cancer diagnostics and treatment. The webinar will begin with an introduction by Dr. Ramos, who will provide an overview of liquid biopsy testing and its growing application in cancer care. This will be followed by a presentation from Dr. Magdalena Meissner, highlighting the groundbreaking QuicDNA study—a real-world evaluation of non-invasive liquid biopsy for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment in Wales. Learn how this pioneering approach is accelerating access to precision medicine and reshaping cancer pathways.

This event will take place at 12:30pm and last approximately 1 hour.

CPD

This meeting is worth 1 CPD point (self credited).

Our speakers

Pilar Ramos

Pilar joined Illumina in 2021 as a Senior Manager in the Europe Medical Affairs team. Based in Spain, she leads educational initiatives and collaborations with key opinion leaders to support the adoption of comprehensive genomic sequencing in cancer diagnostics.

With over 17 years of experience in translational cancer genomics and molecular diagnostics, Pilar has held roles at Caris Life Sciences, Arizona State University, the Translational Genomics Research Institute, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A highlight of her career includes uncovering the genetic basis of SCCOHT and developing the first diagnostic test for this rare cancer.

Dr Magdalena Meissner

Dr Magda Meissner is a Medical Oncology Consultant at Velindre Cancer Centre, holding the position of Clinical Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University. Additionally, she serves as the Clinical Liquid Biopsy Lead at All Wales Medical Genetics Laboratory (AWMGS). Formerly, she held the role of Cancer Research UK Clinical Trial Fellow at the Centre for Trials Research at Cardiff University and was awarded a Clinical Research Fellowship by the Welsh Cancer Research Centre, based at the early phase clinical trials unit in Velindre Cancer Centre. Dr Meissner also holds the role of Precision and Mechanistic Oncology CReSt Theme co-lead.

She completed a PhD in molecular genetics and biomarkers, which involved studying circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) as a biomarker of response/resistance to treatment in patients with oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Currently, she is the Chief- Investigator for the QuicDNA study, a pioneering project investigating the use of non-invasive liquid biopsy for lung cancer diagnosis and treatment. This study is supported by substantial grants from Health and Care Research Wales, Moondance Cancer Initiative, Maxwell Genomic Foundation, and multiple commercial grants.

Dr Sian Morgan

A Consultant Clinical Scientist and Laboratory Director of the All Wales Medical Genomics Service (AWMGS), Sian is responsible for the rapidly expanding diagnostic genomic service. The AWMGS is a tertiary service, hosted by Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and commissioned by the Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC) to deliver Rare Disease, Cancer and Pharmacogenetics services for the population of Wales. With 33 years of experience Sian has overseen and led on strategic relationships and alliances leading to improved diagnostic pathways across all services. Sian also holds an honorary senior research fellow with Cardiff University. Sian is also Chair of RCPath Genomics and Reproductive Science Specialty Advisory Committee and Chair of RCPath NQAAP Genomics.

Sian is a co-lead of the multi-award winning QuicDNA project. The QuicDNA project, initiated in early 2023, focuses on integrating non-invasive ctDNA testing into the lung cancer diagnostic pathway. Through analysing a simple blood sample, liquid biopsies offer a less invasive and faster alternative to traditional tissue biopsies genomic testing. This method speeds up diagnosis and treatment decisions, aiming to improve patient outcomes and survival rates.