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Zachary Conrad Hartman

Associate Professor in Surgery
Surgery, Surgical Sciences
Box 2606 Med Ctr, Durham, NC 27710
Research Drive, MSRBI Rm 414, Durham, NC 27710

Research Interests


My research interests encompass studies of immunity and inflammation in the context of developing and established cancers, especially in different types of breast cancer. These research interests involve studies of inflammation in the genesis and maintenance of specific cancer types (breast, colorectal, prostate, lung, etc.), as well as the impact of inflammation on tumor metastasis and the tumor microenvironment. My group is also involved in strategies to modulate the immune response to tumors, which involves the use of novel immunotherapeutic strategies, tumor-targeting antibodies, and development of vaccines to specific oncogenic targets. The major focus of my lab is in uncovering strategies to modulate tumor-derived inflammation and tumor-specific immunity that will translate into clinically efficacious therapies in patients.

Selected Grants


The Duke Preparing Research scholars In bioMEdical sciences (PRIME): Cancer Research Program

ResearchPreceptor · Awarded by National Cancer Institute · 2023 - 2028

Targeting dormancy-associated immune tolerance to eliminate residual breast cancer

ResearchMentor · Awarded by Department of Defense · 2025 - 2028

Medical Scientist Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2022 - 2027

Promoting Cardiac Allograft Tolerance with PD-L1 Gene Therapy in a Preclinical Porcine Model

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by American Heart Association · 2026 - 2026

Decoding tumor-defining crosstalk between mesothelioma malignant cells and their microenvironment

FellowshipMentor · Awarded by American Cancer Society, Inc. · 2025 - 2026

A Window-of-Opportunity Trial Using Neoadjuvant Hepatic Artery Chemotherapy for Patients With Localized Pancreas Cancer

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by Marc Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Foundation · 2023 - 2026

Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2021 - 2026

Personalized T-cell immunity against metastatic TNBC using MAVS immunostimulation

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Susan G Komen for the Cure · 2022 - 2026

Study of Endoxifen and DKK3 in Breast Cancer

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Atossa Therapeutics, Inc. · 2025 - 2026

Visualizing tumor heterogeneity in an immune intact and autochthonous mouse model of breast cancer

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Cancer Institute · 2021 - 2026

Gene Therapy for Cardiac Transplantation

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Solid Biosciences · 2023 - 2025

Genetic and Genomics Training Grant

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025

Targeting the Progesterone Receptor as a Novel Means to Increase Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Hormone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by The University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc · 2022 - 2025

Improving Cardiac Transplant Outcomes Through PD-L1 Overexpression Gene Therapy

FellowshipCollaborator · Awarded by Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education · 2023 - 2025

Mouse Paint: A massively combinatorial approach for illuminating tumor heterogeneity in True Color

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Cancer Institute · 2022 - 2025

Viral Oncology Training Grant

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1980 - 2025

Improving Cardiac Transplant Outcomes Through PD-L1 Overexpression Gene Therapy

FellowshipCollaborator · Awarded by American Heart Association · 2023 - 2024

Investigation of LAMP anti-tumor vaccines

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc. · 2020 - 2023

Investigating the adaptive immune response to dormant tumor cells

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by American Cancer Society, Inc. · 2020 - 2023

Translational Research in Surgical Oncology

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2002 - 2022

Efficacy of replicon-encapsulated lipid nanoparticles for vaccination against breast cancer in vivo

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Replicate Bioscience, Inc. · 2021 - 2022

Investigation of stimulating stress response mechanisms to enhance antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Bantam Pharmaceutical, LLC · 2019 - 2021

Mechanisms of Action and Resistance to PD-1 Immunotherapies in Breast Cancer

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Merck · 2017 - 2020

Study of LAMP Vaccines in HER2+ Breast Cancer

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Immunomic Therapeutics, Inc. · 2017 - 2020

Immunotherapeutic Targeting of a Therapy Resistant Oncogenic HER2 Isoform

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation · 2017 - 2020

Investigating Adaptive Immune Recognition of Dormant Disseminated Tumor Cells

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center · 2017 - 2019

Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Program

ResearchResearch Candidate · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2009 - 2015

External Relationships


  • Atossa Therapeutics
  • Cell Microsystems
  • Replicate Biosciences, LLC

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.