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Overview


I am a physician-scientist with a background in medical oncology and neuro-oncology, with affiliations to multiple departments, research, and training programs at Duke. 

I lead a Tumor Immunology Lab where we use various wet and dry lab techniques to understand the interactions between tumors and the immune system. Our goal is to identify vulnerabilities that can be targeted for novel therapies.

I serve as the Deputy Director of the Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at the Duke Cancer Institute where we are tasked to facilitate clinical research and translate promising discoveries made by scientists across various departments and cancer types at Duke, particularly in the field of immune and T cell-based therapies.

My team and our laboratory operate in an environment that enables the transition from bench-side basic scientific discoveries to clinical trials, and back to the bench ensuring the evaluation of new treatments for cancer patients.

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Neurosurgery · 2020 - Present Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery
Professor in Medicine · 2020 - Present Medicine, Medical Oncology, Medicine
Professor in Integrative Immunobiology · 2023 - Present Integrative Immunobiology, Basic Science Departments
Professor in Pharmacology and Cancer Biology · 2024 - Present Pharmacology & Cancer Biology, Basic Science Departments
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute · 2019 - Present Duke Cancer Institute, Institutes and Centers

Recent News Items


Published May 1, 2025
Michael Bolton Brain Cancer: What Is Glioblastoma, What Are the Symptoms and Can You Prevent It?
Published April 4, 2025
Experimental therapy for brain cancer gives ‘hope’; will be investigated in upcoming trial
Published September 3, 2024
Endpoints News
Exclusive: Duke spinout launches in hopes of prevailing with brain cancer bispecific where Amgen, Roche did not

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Recent Scholarly Works


Point/Counterpoint: Dordaviprone for diffuse midline glioma - A landmark approval or a premature step?

Journal article Neuro Oncol · August 1, 2026 Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) remains one of the most aggressive and uniformly fatal brain tumors, with a median overall survival (OS) of only 11 months and no systemic therapy yet demonstrating a meaningful survival benefit. Primarily affecting children an ... Full text Link to item Cite

Oncolytic HSV-1 Encoding IL-12 and Anti-PD-1 Reprograms CNS Immunity: Open-Label Study of MVR-C5252 for Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy (PuMP) 2259418

Conference The Journal of Immunology · August 1, 2026 AbstractIntroductionTo overcome immunosuppression in glioblastoma (GBM), we evaluated MVR-C5252, an HSV-1 expressing interleuki ... Full text Cite

Spatial and vascular determinants of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte expansion in glioblastoma 2260218

Conference The Journal of Immunology · August 1, 2026 AbstractIntroductionAdoptive transfer of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has shown promise in solid tumors but remains li ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


A Phase I Study of hEGFRvIII-CD3 bi-scFv (BRiTE) in Patients with WHO Grade IV Malignant Glioma

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Adaptin Bio, Inc. · 2026 - 2031

Genetics and Genomics Training Grant

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2026 - 2031

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Education


Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (The Netherlands) · 2001 M.D.