Research Interests
I lead a Tumor Immunobiology laboratory where we employ a wide range of wet and dry lab techniques to drive cancer research forward. Our primary goal is to uncover biologically significant insights and identify vulnerabilities that can be leveraged for therapeutic purposes.
Through close collaboration with our team, we facilitate the translation of fundamental scientific discoveries into biologically driven clinical trials, ensuring a seamless journey from laboratory bench to patient bedside and back.
I also play pivotal roles in various national and international initiatives related to biomarker research, immunotherapy, and genomics. Our recent work, highlighted in a Nature Medicine paper (PMID: 37488293), outlines our vision to transform the drug development paradigm in glioblastoma by emphasizing biologically driven biospecimen evaluation and serial on-treatment biopsies.
Laboratory Research Initiatives:
- Investigate the divergence in tumor cell signatures following interactions with the immune-neuronal microenvironment.
- Discern immunogenic glioma neoantigen-T cell receptor (TCR) pairs.
- Investigate how brain tumors disrupt classical immune functions.
- Analyze biospecimens collected from patients participating in clinical trials to identify prognostic and predictive biomarkers.
- Translate laboratory discoveries into the surgical window of opportunity and other investigator-initiated clinical trials.
Current Research Initiatives:
- Develop biologically relevant in vitro and in vivo models of human tumors and their microenvironments, alongside dry lab technologies (bioinformatics), to address critical questions related to both tumor and immune intrinsic factors.
- Integrate longitudinal human sample collection into multiple prospective protocols to investigate pharmacological, immune, and biological aspects.
- Focus on the preclinical and clinical development of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) as a therapy for patients with central nervous system (CNS) cancers.
- Design and test novel methods for the safe direct delivery of immunotherapies into brain tumors.
Selected Grants
A Phase 2, multicenter, open label, two parts clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of AB-218 in patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutant glioma
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by AnHeart Therapeutics, Inc. · 2023 - 2028NUTMEG Tissue Analysis
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of Sydney · 2022 - 2028ML44399, "A multicenter trial to identify optimal atezolizumab biomarkers in the setting of recurrent gliobastoma. The MOAB Trial.
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Genentech, Inc. · 2023 - 2027A Multicenter, Open-Label Study with a Randomized Control Arm of the Efficacy, Safety, and Pharmacokinetics of Intravenously Infused Berubicin in Adult Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiform (WHO Grade IV) After Failure of Standard First Line
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by CNS Pharmaceuticals, Inc · 2022 - 2027Phase 1 BNT152+153 in patients with solid tumors
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by BioNTech SE · 2022 - 2027A Phase 1 first-in-human study evaluating safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of ABBV-706 as monotherapy and in combination with budigalimab (ABBV-181), carboplatin, or cisplatin in adult subjects with advanced solid tumors
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by AbbVie Inc. · 2024 - 2027Duke ACS Institutional Research Grant
ResearchSignificant Contributor · Awarded by American Cancer Society, Inc. · 2024 - 2026A Phase 1 Open-Label Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of the Oncolytic HSV1 MVR-C5252 in Patients with Recurrent High-Grade Glioma
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by ImmVira Pharma Co., Ltd. · 2023 - 2026Elucidating Brain Tumor Biology and Response to Radiotherapy Using Cell-Free-DNA Methylation Signatures
ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2026PARAMETer: A window of opportunity study of Patritumab Deruxtecan in patients with brain metastases
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Daiichi Sankyo Inc · 2022 - 2026Federated Learning for Postoperative Segmentation of Treated Glioblastoma (FL-PoST)
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by American Roentgen Ray Society · 2024 - 2026A Phase 1 Open-Label Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of JCXH-211 Intratumoral Injection in Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Immorna Biotherapeutics, Inc. · 2023 - 2026Genomic and Epigenomic Blood sample Analysis for FIG Study
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute · 2021 - 2025GBM AGILE Global Adaptive Trial Master Protocol: An International, Seamless Phase II/III Response Adaptive Randomization Platform Trial Designed To Evaluate Multiple Regimens In Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent GBM (GCAR-7213)
Clinical TrialCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Global Coalition · 2021 - 2025GBM AGILE Global Adaptive Trial Master Protocol: An International, Seamless Phase II/III Response Adaptive Randomization Platform Trial Designed To Evaluate Multiple Regimens In Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent GBM (GCAR-7213)
Clinical TrialCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Global Coalition for Adaptive Research · 2023 - 2025ADI-PEG 20 (Pegargiminase) Treatment Arm
Clinical TrialCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Global Coalition for Adaptive Research · 2024 - 2025ADAPTIN BRiTE Pre-Clinical Development
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Centaur Bio Inc. · 2024 - 2024Prospective longitudinal sequencing of tumor and circulating DNA to assess response to radiation and other therapies in patients with glioblastoma
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Personalis, Inc. · 2022 - 2024Celldex CDX-527
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. · 2020 - 2024Astellas 1951-CL-0101
Clinical TrialPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc · 2020 - 2024Clinical Brain Tumor Development of a Cytomegalovirus-targeted Therapeutic with Vaccine pre-conditioning to Validate Novel Predictors of Vaccine Efficacy
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2023T32 UNC - Duke Immunotherapy Training Program
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill · 2021 - 2022External Relationships
- AnHeart
- BPG Bio
- George Clinical
- Jax lab for genomic research
- Menarini Ricerche S.p.A.
- Servier
This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.