Ben Izar, MD, Joins New Cohort of Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old STARs
Ben Izar, MD, PhD, joins the newest cohort of Lloyd J. Old STARs (Scientists TAking Risks), a program honoring exceptional scientists pioneering advances in cancer immunology. Named after the founding scientific and medical director of the Cancer Research Institute, the Lloyd J. Old STAR Program supports today’s scientific visionaries.
"We are reimagining several aspects of cellular cancer immunotherapies,” says Izar, assistant professor of medicine and systems biology, “this generous award provides us with the support for this high-risk work."
The five newly awarded researchers each receive $1.25 million over five years to drive high-risk, high-reward projects with the potential to transform cancer treatment and advance the frontiers of cancer science. This sustained funding, awarded to candidates who are considered leaders in the field of cancer immunotherapy, will enable them to carry out transformational research.
“With the addition of these remarkable new Lloyd J. Old STARs, we continue to honor Dr. Old’s legacy by empowering visionary researchers to tackle the most challenging questions in cancer immunotherapy. Their groundbreaking projects have the potential to redefine the future of cancer treatment and bring us closer to transformative breakthroughs that can change patients’ lives,” said Dr. Jill O’Donnell-Tormey, CEO and Director of Scientific Affairs for CRI.
Benjamin Izar, MD, PhD
Columbia University, New York, NY
Enhancing Cellular Cancer Immunotherapies through Massively Parallel Discovery of Novel Protein Variants Coupled with Functional Single-Cell Multi-Omics
Dr. Benjamin Izar’s work leverages natural and synthetic protein variants to enhance T cell function in cancer immunotherapy. His team’s cutting-edge methods generate thousands of variants to improve CAR T and TIL therapies, showing promising results in pre-clinical mouse models of melanoma and leukemia. Dr. Izar aims to address resistance mechanisms and enhance the efficacy of cellular therapies for solid and hematologic cancers.
Read the full press release from Cancer Research Institute here.
