Leading a group developing exploratory and translational CAR/TCR product concepts based on a molecular and cellular understanding of tumor targets and tumor biology

-Product Lead for IMGC936, a novel antibody drug conjugate targeting ADAM9-expressing solid tumors-Portfolio Lead: Lead a cross-functional team in developing and executing a strategic vision to align our efforts in lung cancer-Group Head: Lead a group of 10 charged with the preclinical evaluation of novel antibody drug conjugate therapeutics to support the advancement of ImmunoGen’s oncology pipeline

Excelimmune worked to develop highly effective Antibody Combination Therapeutics (ACT) that mimic the polyvalent nature of the adaptive humoral immune response of healthy individuals. By identifying and combining the most effective antibodies from human donors, ACTs can engage several distinct targets & mechanisms of action into one therapuetic.

Studied the role of virulence factors in Salmonella enterica infection, focusing on the function of a novel family of bacteriall E3 ubiquitin ligases required for pathogenesis. The information gained from these experiments extended our understanding of the mechanisms bacteria use to regulate host cell function to promote survival. In addition this study also provided valuable insight into the virulence strategy of other bacteria and may represent a common target for future antibiotic therapies.

My graduate research focused on the characterization of golgin-160, a member of the golgin family of Golgi-localized proteins. I found that golgin-160 bound directly to the β1 adrenergic receptor and was required for its cell surface expression. Golgin-160 was the first golgin shown to directly bind cargo, and likely represents an important component in the transport and/or sorting of specific secretory cargo from the Golgi.

While working at NIH, we identified CD38, an adhesion molecule, as a cytotoxic trigger on natural killer cells that could significantly contribute to the positive triggering events leading to natural cytotoxicity.