Current Research
Adoptive Cell Therapy and the Microbiome
I am currently working in the lab of Tom Gajewski, MD, PhD, at the University of Chicago, studying the role of the gut microbiome in modulating response to adoptive T cell therapy. I am using a couple of different models, including a transgenic mouse model with live biotherapeutic products. Our goal is to identify specific microbial taxa and metabolites that can enhance anti-tumor immunity and improve treatment outcomes.
Machine Learning for CAR-T Outcomes
I currently lead an ongoing CIBMTR study, prediciting response and toxicity for patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma treated with CD19 CAR-T therapy. This study is aimed at identifying clinical and molecular biomarkers that can help guide treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes. It leverages a large multi-national database to ensure robust and generalizable findings.
Clinical Trial: Lactulose and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
I recently wrote a Phase I/II clinical trial that repurposes an FDA-approved medication in addition to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Phase I is tumor agnostic, focusing on the stool microbial and metabolomic changes while Phase II is focused on ICI-refractory melanoma and objective response rate. The trial aims to evaluate whether modulating the gut microbiome can enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy and improve patient outcomes.
