Faculty and students with interests in tumor immunology are on the leading edge of research in tumor antigen discovery, antigen presentation with special emphases on dendritic cells, lymphocyte specificity and activation, cytokine action, and in vivo vaccination strategies to develop safe and effective treatments for cancer by enhancing anti-cancer immune responses. Related studies in this area include the search for underlying genetic or biochemical defects that lead to cell transformation and tumorigenesis, which may also influence tumor immunogenicity. These studies emphasize intracellular signal transduction, programmed cell death, and oncogene function. Members also study the development, activation, and function of natural killer cells.
Participating Faculty and Labs
Robert Binder, Ph.D.
Antigen processing and presentation; cross priming; mechanisms of tumor immunology; immunosurveillance
Greg M. Delgoffe, Ph.D
Metabolism of antitumor immunity, tumor immunotherapy
Gary Kohanbash, Ph.D.
Immunotherapy for pediatric and adult central nervous system tumors
Adrianna Larregina, M.D., Ph.D.
Study of skin-initiated immune responses with focus on epithelial and antigen presenting cells. Role of neuropeptides signaling via the Neurokinin 1 receptor in skin mediated immune responses. Cell to cell communication via small extracellular vesicles in the skin and skin draining lymph nodes.
Jing Li, Ph.D.
Regulatory CD8+ T cells; cancer immunology; maternal tolerance during pregnancy
Michael T. Lotze, M.D.
Tumor immunology; dendritic cell biology; cytokine biology; regulation of apoptosis in immune effectors
Amanda Poholek, Ph.D.
Transcriptional and epigenetic control of T cell differentiation
Abby Overacre, Ph.D.
Microbiome, diet, tumor immunology, immunotherapy, immunoregulation
Dayana Rivadeneira, Ph.D.
DNA damage response in T cell differentiation and anti-tumor immunity.
Warren D. Shlomchik, M.D.
Graft-versus-leukemia, T cell responses against neoantigens, properties of effective TCRs
Michael R. Shurin, M.D., Ph.D.
Tumor immunology; dendritic cell biology
Adam C. Soloff, Ph.D.
Environmental exposures, epigenetic regulation of pulmonary macrophages, and lung cancer.
Walter J. Storkus, Ph.D.
Natural killer cell and CTL antitumor targeting mechanisms
Dario Vignali, Ph.D.
Focus on the impact of inhibitory receptors (LAG3 and PD1) and regulatory T cells on the tumor microenvironment, mechanisms of intratumoral T cell exhaustion, and the development of novel immunotherapeutics
Jing Hong Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy with a focus on the mechanisms of heterogeneous anti-tumor immune responses, Antibody Gene Diversification in B cells
Zhaoyang You, Ph.D.
In Vivo Targeted Vaccines for Tumor Immunotherap
Hassane Zarour, M.D.
MHC class II tumor epitopes