I am an assistant professor in the Department of Pathology at The Ohio State University and a member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James, where my research focuses on stress response phenotypes that enhance tumor cell immunogenicity. My main goal is to utilize this mechanistic information for preclinical development of therapies and therapeutic combinations that deliver strong antitumor activity while also stimulating tumor cell recognition by the immune system.

My lab performs preclinical research to develop effective strategies for therapy of melanoma and metastatic breast cancer. We utilize patient-derived models, such as xenografts and organoids, as well as humanized and immunocompetent murine models.

Current studies are focused on developing therapies that can facilitate tumor immune recognition and/or alter the tumor microenvironment to facilitate recruitment of antitumor immune cells. My lab is also evaluating strategies for combining tumor-targeted and immune therapies for effective and long-lasting tumor control.

I have authored or co-authored publications in numerous scientific journals, including Frontiers in Immunology, Science Translational Medicine and Cancer Immunology Research.