Breaking Barriers: Modulation of Tumor Microenvironment to Enhance Bacillus Calmette–Guérin Immunotherapy of Bladder Cancer

Dr. Omar M. Ibrahim graduated from the DiPersio Lab at Washington University School of Medicine. Prior to coming to Washington University to complete his graduate studies in cancer biology, Dr. Ibrahim was a Fulbright Scholar in Tumor Biology and Immunology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York. His research interests focus on identifying therapeutic targets, drug development, and modulating tumor microenvironment components that promote cancer growth. Currently, Dr. Ibrahim works in the DiPersio Lab and the Ding Lab at the School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, where he collaborates with an interdisciplinary team to tackle large-scale cancer projects. His research in the DiPersio Lab sits at the interface of computational biology and translational immunotherapy to identify novel cancer targets and immunotherapies to engage these targets. He has been awarded a 2023 Minority Hematology Graduate Award (MHGA) from the American Society of Hematology (ASH). Dr. Ibrahim is one of two individuals from Washington University selected for this prestigious honor, which recognizes high-caliber early career scientists on a national scale.

Dr. Pawel Kalinski, MD, Ph.D. is a Senior Vice President at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Chairman of the Department of Immunology of Roswell. His research interests involve immunology and immunotherapy of cancer and infectious diseases, bioengineering, cancer vaccines, dendritic cells, T cells, NK cells, cytokines, chemokines, prostanoids and interferons. He has authored more than 150 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and developed multiple INDs and early phase clinical trials of cancer and infections.