Biography

About Me

Prior to joining CMSRU, I was an Associate Professor in the Department of Immunotherapeutics and Biotechnology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, starting there in 2012.  As an independent researcher, my work has focused on the development of novel cancer therapeutics through the use of a gram-positive bacterium, Listeria monocytogenes (Lm).  The primary work of my laboratory has been utilizing Lm as a cancer vaccine vehicle, stimulating robust T cell-mediated immunity against the tumor and tumor-associated vasculature.  We are currently continuing to advance Lm as an immunotherapy platform through developing novel methods for administration and improving its safety and efficacy.  However, our recent work has also sought to leverage the tumor tropism of Lm for the delivery of cytotoxic agents to the tumor microenvironment in collaboration with colleagues at Baylor.  We published our initial findings in Cell Chemical Biology late last year and have several projects in progress to advance this research further.