Tullia C. BrunoProfessor,Department of Immunology,University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
Biography
Education
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, Cum Laude
Graduation: May 2005
Johns Hopkins SOM, Baltimore, MD
Doctor of Philosophy, Immunology
Mentor: Dr. Charles Drake, Thesis Title: Immune checkpoints in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes
Graduation: May 2010
Project description: During my graduate training, I used both mouse and human models of prostate cancer to understand the role of immune checkpoint molecules on CD4 and CD8 tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), in particular PD-1 and LAG-3. We found that CD8 TILs were nonfunctional and that immune function could be restored in the cells with the addition of ?PD-1 therapy. These studies contributed to the advancement of this immunotherapy into clinical trial and the treatment is now FDA approved. It was during my graduate training that I learned to utilize small numbers of lymphocytes for in vitro functional studies of TILs from human primary tumors.
Research Interest
Aplastic Anemia