Dr. Sid Devarakonda: Shedding Research’s “Shroud of Secrecy” at Seattle Lung Cancer Conference

Seattle Lung Cancer Conference: Program Mainstays Make the Experience

Siddhartha Devarakonda, MD, has a favorite conference. The Swedish Cancer Institute thoracic oncologist may be biased—he is, after all, co-chair of the conference in question—but Binaytara’s Seattle Lung Cancer Conference tops his list either way. This year’s meeting will take place on October 9 and 10 in Seattle, WA, co-chaired by Devarakonda and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Institute’s Lei Deng, MD.

“We're going to have speakers from across the country,” Devarakonda explained of his preference: “experts in the field. We have a few interesting things in the meeting agenda itself: we like having debates every year. They are quite entertaining—but the point is, of course, to debate a topic that's highly controversial and see how experts approach it.”

This year’s lineup of debates fit the bill of entertainment-meets-expert consensus. The head-to-head session begins with “Adjuvant vs. Neo-Adjuvant in NSCLC,” featuring Matthew Gumbleton, MD, PhD, and Jeffrey P. Ward, MD. Another NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) debate will follow: “Consolidation in Metastatic NSCLC” with Frank Weinberg, MD, PhD, and Jing Zeng, MD. Finally, Ram Subramanian, MD and Boone Goodgame, MD, will close the session with “VEGF in NSCLC - Resurgence or Persistent Hype?”

Other mainstay sessions are similarly interactive, designed to chart a collaborative path toward clarity on the biggest questions in thoracic oncology. “We also have case panel discussions,” Devarakonda said. “This year there will be a session on how AI will do, as opposed to an oncologist, when it comes to decision-making. We have experts across the country once again.”

How the Impact Pitch Is Clarifying the Research Process

Among familiar favorites, a new session has been added to the 2026 Seattle Lung Cancer Conference: the Impact Pitch, a Shark Tank-style research pitching event. Emerging thoracic investigators who submitted an abstract to the conference are invited to pitch a novel lung cancer research idea live onstage for the chance to earn Binaytara’s $50,000 Lung Cancer Research Award. They receive live feedback from a panel of field-leading experts—the “Sharks,” or Catalysts—who decide, by the end of the conference, who will walk away with funding.

This, Devarakonda stresses, is an exciting feature.

“Conventionally, when somebody has a good research idea, they write up a grant and then it's reviewed,” the oncologist explained. “There's a shroud of secrecy around all of that, which has its place. Number one, it gives people a sense of what's happening, and two, it opens up avenues for collaboration.

“And then it also gives junior faculty, early in their career—and even, honestly, mid-career faculty members—an idea for how research needs to be presented. What are the questions that reviewers often ask you? It makes you a better researcher overall.”

Devarakonda acted as emcee at the inaugural Impact Pitch, at Binaytara’s flagship Summit on Cancer Health Disparities in 2026. From that debut onward, three Impact Pitch winners have been selected to receive funding for their research.

Inaugural Impact Pitch winners Akshee Batra, MD, and Benjamin Li, MD, with Devarakonda on the far right.

Join Devarakonda at the 2026 Seattle Lung Cancer Conference

The 2026 Seattle Lung Cancer Conference is happening October 9 and 10 in Seattle, WA. Register today to witness—and collaborate in—debates, plenary sessions, discussions, and the Impact Pitch.

“I hope you make it,” Devarakonda stressed.