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Mustafa Khasraw

Professor of Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery

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 Immunobiology Laboratory 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 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

In the News


Published September 3, 2024
Exclusive: Duke spinout launches in hopes of prevailing with brain cancer bispecific where Amgen, Roche did not
Published October 13, 2023
A Doctor With Brain Cancer Is Helping Transform Its Treatment
Published March 15, 2023
Analysis Details Lasting Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Cancer Care

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Recent Publications


A Spatial Multi-Omic Framework Identifies Gliomas Permissive to TIL Expansion.

Journal Article Res Sq · April 25, 2025 Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, recently approved by the FDA for melanoma, is an emerging modality for cell-based immunotherapy. However, its application in immunologically "cold" tumors such as glioblastoma remains limited due to sparse T cel ... Full text Link to item Cite

Neoadjuvant triplet immune checkpoint blockade in newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Journal Article Nat Med · February 27, 2025 Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive primary adult brain tumor that rapidly recurs after standard-of-care treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. While immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies have transformed outcomes in many tumor types ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Glioblastoma Immunotherapy Advancement with Nivolumab and Relatlimab

Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company · 2024 - 2029

NUTMEG Tissue Analysis

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Sydney · 2022 - 2028

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Education, Training & Certifications


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