Assistant Professor of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University
The ILCF Research Grant will allow my group to better understand the immune parameters governing early-stage lung cancer. This will enable us to identify novel targets for neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, with the goal of delaying or preventing relapse after surgical resection. Additionally, the data generated under this grant will allow us to generate new hypotheses that can be used for larger applications in the future.
What inspired you to focus your career on thoracic oncology?
I decided to focus on lung cancer research because of the high rate of relapse following curative surgery and the relatively high rate of death if and when relapse occurs. There is a desperate unmet clinical need to better understand early-stage disease so we can better prevent relapse in this underserved patient population.
How has receiving an ILCF Research Grant contributed to the advancement of your research?
The ILCF Research Grant will allow my group to better understand the immune parameters governing early-stage lung cancer. This will enable us to identify novel targets for neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, with a goal of delaying or preventing relapse after surgical resection. Additionally, the data generated under this grant will allow us to generate new hypotheses that can be used for larger applications in the future.
What are the next steps of your research? Of your career?
After the completion of the ILCF work, I hope to translate our findings into pre-clinical and clinical trials. These studies will the foundation for my promotion to Associate Professor.
How are your next steps influenced by the outcomes of the project funded by your ILCF Research Grant?
The outcomes of my ILCF project will heavily determine the next steps of my career. Luckily, the findings from this work will be informative and impactful no matter what, and will significantly advance our understanding of immune responses in early-stage lung cancer.
Who is your primary mentor? What makes your relationship with your mentor meaningful to you?
My primary mentor is Dr. Drew M. Pardoll. Our relationship is meaningful because he treats all mentees as peers and is open to new ideas and hypotheses.
What are your passions outside of work?
My two girls - Easter (3) and Birdie (1)
Is there anything you would like to add?
I would like to thank the ILCF and all the donors for this amazing opportunity to better understand the immune programs of anti-tumor T-cells. Not only will this be an integral part of my career development, but it will identify new immune targets for early-stage NSCLC treatments.