Samuel John

As a physician scientist, I am positioned at the interface of a robust clinical program and the vibrant research environment of UTSW. I have gained firsthand experience in treating pediatric patients with several malignancies. I have seen many of these same children succumb to the incurable nature of these diseases. Bringing this clinical experience into the lab, I recognize the urgency for new treatment strategies to improve outcomes in pediatric cancer. My research focuses on targeting relapsed and refractory acute leukemias utilizing novel immunotherapy methods. I developed a novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)- T cell directed against a protein on AML cells called LILRB4. I have demonstrated this CAR-T cell to have potent anti-leukemia activity and we are now translating this work to a first in human clinical trial. I aim to approach disease control from the perspective of both tumor cell elimination and eradication of immune- protective niches for tumor cells.