Past Event
Sunshine Symposium on Novel Cancer Therapies & Prostate Cancer
Saturday, December 2, 2023
RMK AIMES Surgical Training Center & Koç University Hospital, Istanbul
The inaugural Mona & Philip Sunshine Symposium convened on December 2, 2023, at Koç University Hospital and the RMK AIMES Training & Convention Center in Istanbul — bringing together faculty from Emory University (USA), Koç University (Türkiye), University College London (UK), and University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany).
Presentations spanned prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment, with Emory faculty introducing new developments in Integrative Oncology, Artificial Intelligence, Cellular Therapies (CAR-T and stem cells), MerTK inhibitors, and Proton therapy. The symposium was broadcast online via SurgicalTV and was free of charge, enabling wide international participation both in person and remotely.
Organized by Professor Erdem Canda and generously supported by Dr. Erhan Bulutcu, CEO of Koç Healthcare, the meeting also received the financial and personal support of Mr. Philip Sunshine and Mrs. Mona Sunshine, who attended the symposium alongside social programming at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum and the Arter cultural hub.
Program
Speakers
Dr. A. Erdem Canda
Koç University Hospital, Department of Urology, Istanbul
Mr. Ashwin Sridhar, FRCS (Urol)
University College London (UCL), Department of Urology, London, UK
Dr. Barış Esen
Emory University School of Medicine · Koç University School of Medicine
Dr. Derya Tilki
Martini-Klinik Prostate Cancer Center, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany · Koç University Hospital, Department of Urology, Istanbul, TR
Dr. Dilek Ertoy Baydar
Koç University Hospital, Department of Pathology, Istanbul, TR
Douglas K. Graham, MD, PhD
Emory University School of Medicine, USA
Dr. Duygu Karahacıoğlu
Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, TR
Dr. Fatih Selçukbiricik
Koç University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Istanbul, TR
Jonathon B. Cohen, MD, MS
Emory University School of Medicine · Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, USA
Dr. Kayhan Ertürk
Koç University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Istanbul, TR
Dr. Louise Dickinson
University College London (UCL), Department of Radiology, London, UK
Dr. M. Derya Balbay
Koç University Hospital · VKF American Hospital, Department of Urology, Istanbul, TR
Madhav V. Dhodapkar, MBBS
Emory University School of Medicine · Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, USA
Dr. Metin Vural
VKF American Hospital, Istanbul, TR
Dr. Nil Molinas Mandel
Koç University Hospital · VKF American Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Istanbul, TR
Dr. Okan Falay
Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, TR
Dr. Omer Kucuk
Professor of Hematology-Oncology and Urology · Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Rakesh Shiradkar, PhD
Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, USA
Sagar A. Patel, MD
Emory University School of Medicine, USA
Dr. Şahin Laçin
Koç University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Istanbul, TR
Dr. Tarık Esen
Koç University Hospital · VKF American Hospital, Department of Urology, Istanbul, TR
Dr. Uğur Selek
Koç University Hospital · VKF American Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, Istanbul, TR
Dr. Yakup Kordan
Koç University Hospital, Department of Urology, Istanbul, TR
Mr. Zafer Tandogdu, FRCS (Urol)
University College London (UCL), Department of Urology, London, UK
Gallery
Photos
Reflections
Letters of Appreciation
Reflections from faculty, participants, and partners on their experience at this symposium.
The first Sunshine symposium on novel cancer therapies and prostate cancer was held successfully on December 2, 2023, at Koç University Hospital & RMK AIMES Training & Convention Center in Istanbul with international participation including faculty from Koç University, Emory University, USA, University College London, UK, and University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. The symposium was followed by an audience of clinicians and researchers both in person at RMK Aimes Surgical Training Center and remotely by Zoom.
All aspects of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment were discussed. Presentations by Emory University faculty included new developments such as Integrative Oncology and Artificial Intelligence, as well as Cellular Therapies such as CAR-T cells and stem cells, and other novel therapies such as MerTK inhibitors and Proton therapy.
In addition, a social program for the visiting faculty included visits to Arter Museum of Koç Foundation at Dolapdere, Istanbul, and Rahmi M. Koç Museum on the Northern Bank of the Golden Horn, Istanbul.
The symposium was organized by Professor Erdem Canda, and it was generously supported by the CEO of Koç Healthcare, Dr. Erhan Bulutcu. There was also financial support provided by Mr. Philip Sunshine and Mrs. Mona Sunshine, who also attended the symposium and the social activities.
Dr. Omer Kucuk, MD
Professor of Hematology-Oncology and Urology · Correll Chair in Genitourinary Cancer
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, USA
Sunshine Prostate Cancer Symposium and Robotic Prostate Cancer Surgery Course was a multidisciplinary event completed with great success with the participation of many faculty members from Emory University (USA), Koç University (Turkey), UCLH (UK) and Hamburg University (Germany). This meeting was also online broadcasted via SurgicalTV. Participation was free-of-charge that enabled many attendees both in-person and on-line. Faculty members shared their experience and knowledge with the participants with interactive questions and answers.
This event is unique in terms of being not only a world-class scientific meeting & course but also being an exceptional cultural event that included a visit to Rahmi M. Koç Museum in Haliç, Istanbul where participants could visit wonderful & nostalgic exhibitions and also another cultural visit to ARTER in Dolapdere, Istanbul — a vibrant cultural hub offering a broad range of programs accessible to everyone, founded in 2010 as a subsidiary of the Vehbi Koç Foundation, where participants could visit many art galleries under guidance.
Our event was a unique example of combining medicine, science, art and music, all taken place in Koç Foundation Facilities.
Dr. A. Erdem Canda
Symposium & Course Secretary · Director, RMK AIMES · Professor of Urology
Koç University Hospital, Department of Urology, Istanbul, TR