Excellent near-peer expert career panel at #SITC2025 moderated by @ChelseaPinnix for the @sitcancer Program for Undergraduates in STEM. I continue to be grateful for SITC’s dedication to supporting the next generation of researchers and clinicians in immuno-oncology.

🚨New in @JITCancer! Thrilled to share our position article, co-led w/Dr. Posey @IAmDrDex, on engineering next wave of antibody & cell therapies. Let’s build the future of immuno-oncology.🧵 #NextGenIO @PennMedicine @WinshipAtEmory @sitcancer 🔗

In our new MTNA paper, we deliver multi-target mRNA CAR T cells at the time of glioma resection. In resection models, multi-target CAR T cells outperformed pooled single-CARs, using nonviral mRNA engineering (including LNP). 🔗

More than 60% of cancer patients undergo surgery as a part of their treatment plan, and relapse often stems from minimal residual disease (MRD). In 2024, Peter Marks highlighted elimination of MRD as low-hanging fruit for CAR T cells.

The work of building a more inclusive STEM community is far from over. But it is a mission worth pursuing every day. We all have a role to play in making science equitable, accessible, and innovative for all. #BlackHistoryMonth #STEM #DiversityInScience #RepresentationMatters

Despite attempts to smear it, DEI is not a dirty acronym. It stands for anti-discrimination actions that create more representative environments of belonging. It also leads to better teams, stronger collaboration, & improved scientific outcomes.

Scientific progress has historically been hindered by exclusionary & siloed practices. Diverse perspectives broaden discovery, challenge biases, & drive innovation. STEM doesn’t advance in isolation—it thrives when we uplift all voices.

I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me. Their legacy reminds me that DEI isn’t just an ideal—it’s a responsibility. Progress isn’t linear. It must be actively upheld. Perseverance in one era lays the foundation for the next.

His curiosity & love for discovery were contagious. He taught me that exploration—whether of the Earth, the universe, or the microscopic world of cells—is fundamental to progress. Now, I carry forward this generational passion as a scientist studying cancer & immunotherapy. 🧪🧬

Henson was also my grandfather’s cousin. His story had a profound impact on my family. Inspired by Henson’s legacy, my grandfather became a science educator, first in segregated & later in integrated schools, with a passion for earth science. 🌍

Henson was included in the historic journey, yet society’s embrace of inclusion is often conditional rather than consistent—in vogue one day, disregarded the next. #BlackHistoryMonth reminds us that representation in science has always been a struggle.

His achievement came at a time when Jim Crow laws enforced segregation & discrimination, limiting opportunities for Black Americans in nearly every aspect of life. Yet, despite his accomplishments, Henson’s recognition was delayed until 1944—a reflection of systemic exclusion.

Matthew Henson was a pioneer—an explorer who braved the harsh Arctic & played a pivotal role in the first expedition to the North Pole with Robert Peary in 1909. Some records even suggest Henson reached the Pole first. 🧊❄️ #BlackSTEM

🔬As we close this year’s #BlackHistoryMonth, I honor the legacies of those who persevered, innovated, and expanded human knowledge—despite the obstacles before them. A personal reflection on legacy, science, and the responsibility of diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI). 🧵👇

Interestingly, this therapeutic approach runs counter to the lipid-lowering strategies that predominant CVD treatment. We are eager to now explore the efficacy of this therapy in models at risk for accelerated CVD, such as CHIP and checkpoint immunotherapy.

This is the first demonstration that engineered immune cells can treat heart disease. And with these data, we are excited that CAR T cells may now be able to tackle heart disease in patients at high risk for plaque rupture.

We developed CAR Tregs with specificity for OxLDL, and these cells remarkably reduced atherosclerosis in mice prone to the heart disease through immunosuppressive mechanisms. The Tregs suppress T cell proliferation, foam cell formation, and ~80% of plaque deposition.

CAR T cells have shown efficacy in blood cancers and autoimmune disease. In my lab’s recent preprint, we developed CAR Tregs to tackle the #1 cause of human mortality - heart disease.

Great team @sitcancer #AACR24 #SITCSRC @sitcancerECS @IAmDrDex @gulleyj1 @JennGuerriero @stefanispranger @zaccoop @CentralParkWMD @DemariaLab_WCM Dr. Romero & Dr. Ribas @AACR

Many insights from this discussion - importantly, identifying biomarkers in your preclinical models that are indicators of drug activity are needed to improve clinical trial designs.