My long-term vision is to improve the treatment of metastatic disease through translational research. I believe this can only be achieved through challenging the prevailing view that metastases are always widespread and incurable. My laboratory utilizes integrative molecular analyses of clinical metastases, bioinformatics and computational tools, tumor models, molecular biology, immunologic analyses, and statistical modeling to investigate: (1) biological mechanisms that restrict the potential curability of patients with limited metastatic disease following localized therapies, such as surgery and ablative radiotherapy, and (2) the interplay between ablative radiotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade in patients with metastatic disease.
We discovered the first biological basis for curable metastasis in patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgical resection of limited de novo liver metastases, whereby robust adaptive immune activation in concert with favorable clinical factors was associated with a 10-year overall survival of ~95% following surgery (Nature Communications 2018). We recently validated these findings in the randomized phase III New EPOC trial (JAMA Oncology 2023). In addition, we discovered that concurrent administration of ablative radiotherapy with immunotherapy augmented local tumor immunity and improved survival in patients with highly aneuploid metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Nature Cancer 2022). We validated a tumor aneuploidy score as a novel biomarker of immunotherapy response across multiple human cancers (Nature Genetics 2022).
Building upon these findings, we identified previously unknown mechanisms of immune suppression and novel strategies to augment the diminished immune responses in metastatic cancers. I anticipate these findings will ultimately have important implications in the delineation of those patients with potentially curable metastatic disease from those whose few metastases are part of a large cascade of widespread disease, thereby advancing the paradigm for the treatment of metastatic cancers. My technical expertise and clinical oncology training combined with my dedication to translational investigations make me well-suited to successfully execute the proposed research.
The University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Residency - Radiation Oncology
2016
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
New York City, NY
- Spinal Radiosurgery
2015
Chicago Proton Center
Warrenville, IL
- Proton Radiotherapy
2015
The University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Internship - Internal Medicine
2012
The University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
M.D. - Medicine
2011
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
B.S. - Biomedical Engineering
2006
YTHDF1 loss in dendritic cells potentiates radiation-induced antitumor immunity via STING-dependent type I IFN production.
YTHDF1 loss in dendritic cells potentiates radiation-induced antitumor immunity via STING-dependent type I IFN production. J Clin Invest. 2024 Dec 02; 134(23).
PMID: 39325547
Primary site stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy in localized, recurrent, and metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
Primary site stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy in localized, recurrent, and metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Clin Transl Radiat Oncol. 2024 Nov; 49:100879.
PMID: 39529961
Clinical and molecular correlates of tumor aneuploidy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
Clinical and molecular correlates of tumor aneuploidy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Sci Rep. 2024 08 21; 14(1):19375.
PMID: 39169079
DARES: A Phase II Trial of Durvalumab and Ablative Radiation in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer.
DARES: A Phase II Trial of Durvalumab and Ablative Radiation in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer. Clin Lung Cancer. 2024 Dec; 25(8):e448-e452.
PMID: 39242330
Safety of combined ablative radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors in three phase I trials.
Safety of combined ablative radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors in three phase I trials. Eur J Cancer. 2024 Sep; 209:114264.
PMID: 39106643
Radiotherapy, immunity, and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Radiotherapy, immunity, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Lancet Oncol. 2024 Aug; 25(8):e352-e362.
PMID: 39089313
Sharing the Burden: The Case for Definitive Local Therapy in Place of Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Patients With a Low-Volume Burden of Metastatic Disease.
Sharing the Burden: The Case for Definitive Local Therapy in Place of Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Patients With a Low-Volume Burden of Metastatic Disease. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Oct 10; 42(29):3387-3391.
PMID: 39038267
Radiotherapy and immunology.
Radiotherapy and immunology. J Exp Med. 2024 Jul 01; 221(7).
PMID: 38771260
Radiotherapy Enhances Metastasis Through Immune Suppression by Inducing PD-L1 and MDSC in Distal Sites.
Radiotherapy Enhances Metastasis Through Immune Suppression by Inducing PD-L1 and MDSC in Distal Sites. Clin Cancer Res. 2024 May 01; 30(9):1945-1958.
PMID: 38427437
Hormonal Therapy and Radiation Therapy in Prostate Cancer: 5-Year Outcomes From a Trial Evaluating Combined Androgen Blockade With 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors as an Alternative to Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Agonists.
Hormonal Therapy and Radiation Therapy in Prostate Cancer: 5-Year Outcomes From a Trial Evaluating Combined Androgen Blockade With 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors as an Alternative to Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Agonists. Clin Genitourin Cancer. 2024 Aug; 22(4):102103.
PMID: 38781786
LUNGevity Career Development Award
University of Chicago
2020 - 2023
Spotlight Grant on Tumor Biology
University of Chicago
2019 - 2020
Ullman Scholarship in Translational Cancer Immunology
University of Chicago
2019 - 2020
Best of ASTRO Basic/Translational Science Award for Junior Investigator in Radiation&Cancer Biology
American Society for Radiation Oncology
2018 - 2018
Distinguished Biomedical Engineering Alumni Award
Illinois Institute of Technology
2016 - 2016
Franklin McLean Medical Student Research Award
Pritzker School of Medicine, University of Chicago
2011 - 2011
Senior Research Award
Dept. of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago
2011 - 2011
Calvin Fentress Research Fellowship
University of Chicago
2010 - 2012
NIH Summer Research Fellowship
University of Chicago
2007 - 2007
Summa Cum Laude
Illinois Institute of Technology
2006 - 2006
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Fellowship
University of Chicago
2005 - 2006
Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society Winkler Scholarship
Illinois Institute of Technology
2005 - 2006
Heald Undergraduate Tuition Scholarship
Illinois Institute of Technology
2002 - 2006