Ivrea, Piedmont, Italy
I am an experienced cancer immunologist with a focus on the isolation and cloning of tumor-antigen specific T cells. In this context, I am skilled at isolating, molecularly cloning and retrovirally transferring T cell receptors into primary T cells. The methods I use to test the T cell clones and TCR-redirected T cells include flow cytometry, ELISA, ELISPOT and Chromium release assay. As lab head of the group of Prof. Helga Bernhard at the university hospital “Klinikum rechts der Isar” in Munich and the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg I designed and performed experiments, supervised Ph.D. and M.D. students as well as technical assistants, wrote publications and contributed to the writing of grant applications and established collaborations. The final goal of my work was to establish appropriate T cell receptors for the transduction into primary T cells of cancer patients for adoptive T cell therapy. Working on this challenging project I proved my ability to think independently, solve problems and adapt quickly to changing situations. At EMD Serono I was developing a T cell based in vitro potency assay for the comparison of vaccine batches. There are also multiple possibilities to use T cells in in vitro assays to test the effectiveness of different immunotherapeutics, e.g. antibodies. Seen individually, vaccine, adoptive T cell transfer, antibodies etc. may show little effect in the treatment of cancer but intelligent combination therapy has the potential to bring forward the great breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy. My goal is to play a part in contributing to this breakthrough.
Execution of Critical Quality Attribute assessments of NBEs as well as approved biopharmaceuticals. Expert for the mechanism of action of biopharmaceuticals. Execution of immunogenicity risk assessments.
Setup, development, validation and transfer of in-vitro bioassays based on T cell and other immunological responses.
Development and establishment of T cell based in vitro potency assays
At the German Cancer Research Center I worked as laboratory head of the working group “Tumor Immunology” of Professor Helga Bernhard, MD, in the context of the Helmholtz Alliance "Immunotherapy of Cancer". The working group was associated with the Division of Immunogenetics of Professor Peter Krammer, MD. First, I established and re-organized the working group following the move from Munich. My duties and responsibilities comprised the design, supervision and realization of projects and the involved experiments with tumor antigen associated T cell clones and their T cell receptors for our own group and for collaborative projects with Professor Peter Krammer, MD, Professor Philipp Beckhove, MD, head of the Division of Translational Immunology at the DKFZ und PD Adelheid Cerwenka, PhD, groupleader of the Boveri Junior Research Group Innate Immunity. The work also included writing grants. Besides I was project leader for genetic projects.
T cell generation and TCR gene isolation, cloning and retroviral transfer into CD8+ and CD4+ T cells as well as optimization of TCRs in collaboration with the working group of Professor Wolfgang Uckert, PhD, of the Max-Delbrück-Center in Berlin-Buch. The final goal of the work was the adoptive transfer of TCR-transduced T cells into cancer patients. Supervision of MD and PhD students and technical assistants. From 2008-2010 assistant project leader in the project B10 "Generation of HER-specific T killer and T helper cells for adoptive T cell transfer" of the Collaborative Research Centre 456 „ Target structures for selective tumor interventions “ from the German Research Foundation. From 2008-2010 project leader for genetic projects.