Julia C. Carnevale, MD

Many cancers evade immune attack by creating a local environment that suppresses immune cells, thereby preventing sustained anti-tumor responses. Dr. Carnevale’s research focuses on dendritic cells, which play a central role in activating cancer-fighting T cells. She seeks to understand how these cells can be reprogrammed to function within tumors despite suppressive signals. In addition, she plans to develop new approaches to engineer dendritic cells so they can physically and functionally coordinate multiple types of T cells within tumors, strengthening local immune responses. Ultimately, this research aims to uncover new strategies to harness dendritic cells to overcome immune resistance in cancer.