Lauren Adkins, M.S., earned her undergraduate degree in cell and molecular biology with a minor in chemistry and a certificate of biotechnology from Cal State Long Beach in 2014. From 2013 to 2014, she completed a full-time paid internship at University of California Irvine, conducting research on optimizing the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into choroid plexus epithelial cells. Adkins received her master’s degree in biology in 2017 from Cal State Fullerton, where she identified a novel group of β-catenin inhibitors as anti-cancer compounds and analyzed their mechanism of action. Previously at City of Hope, Adkins investigated the role of transcription factor ARID5A in adiposity, inflammation, obesity and insulin resistance, and worked toward characterizing an ARID5A KO mouse model. Adkins is enthusiastic about  joining the Priceman Lab and is currently involved in correlative studies for the HER2 BBM CAR T cell clinical trial, with a focus on immune monitoring of patient samples.

Jackson Gibson received his B.S. in nutrition science from Cal Poly Pomona in 2018. His lab work began in 2017 as a summer intern through the Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy in the Priceman Lab evaluating different modulators for maintenance of naïve and memory phenotypes in proliferating T cells. Now a Research Associate II in the lab, his work has since shifted to developing a model for studying the tumor microenvironment and evaluating the interplay between myeloid cells and CAR T cells. Gibson is eager to learn different ways to augment the host immune response against solid tumors and hematological malignancies while working toward the ultimate goal of pursuing an M.D. specializing in pediatric oncology.

Eric Lee, B.S., graduated magna cum laude from University of California Berkeley with a double major in molecular and cell biology: immunology, and public health: infectious diseases. He joined the Priceman Lab in August 2018 and has been leading the efforts in improving City of Hope’s chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for ovarian cancer, based on early work by John Murad, Ph.D. He is also part of the Priceman group’s overarching goal to prolong CAR T cells’ persistence in the tumor microenvironment (TME); his role is to investigate various ways to endow intrinsic cytokine ability to CAR T cells that will improve their survival and killing potential in solid tumors’ hostile TME.

Lupita Lopez grew up in Fountain Valley, California, and earned her B.S. in molecular cell biology from California State University, Long Beach. She is currently working toward her Ph.D. at the Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences at City of Hope. A 2018 H.N. & Frances Berger Foundation Fellow, Lopez's doctoral work is focused on cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer through development of novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells.

John Murad, Ph.D., grew up in Diamond Bar, California, and earned his B.S. in chemistry from California Polytechnic University Pomona. He completed his M.S. in pharmaceutical sciences at Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, focusing on platelet biology and G-protein coupled receptor function. Murad received his Ph.D. from the Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences at City of Hope. A 2014 H.N. & Frances Berger Foundation Fellow, Murad’s doctoral work focused on cellular immunotherapy for the treatment of solid tumors, including ovarian cancer and prostate cancer, through development of novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. He is actively involved in developing relevant tumor models both in vitro and in vivo to best recapitulate the tumor immune microenvironment, and exploring how to use clinically relevant modalities to improve CAR T cell efficacy. Murad hopes that the progress made preclinically leads to promising immunotherapeutic strategies that improve survival and quality of life for cancer patients.

Anthony Park obtained his B.S. in biology from University of California, San Diego. He then earned his M.S. from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, evaluating the effects of THC on adaptive immunity due to fungal infections. 
 
Park is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences at City of Hope, investigating combination immunotherapies using oncolytic viruses and CAR T cells to treat various solid tumors, with an emphasis on understanding the immunological effects of each therapy alone and in combination.

Yuki Yamaguchi, Ph.D., earned her B.S. in biology from University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2009 and her Ph.D. in genetic, molecular and cellular biology from University of Southern California in 2015. She studied mammalian heart development and regeneration in graduate school and became interested in the roles that immune cells play in various diseases, including cardiac ischemic injury. Yamaguchi pursued her interest and joined the lab as a postdoctoral fellow to study roles of suppressive immune cells in solid tumors and to improve chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells to overcome immune suppression. Yamaguchi is now a staff scientist in the Priceman Lab and leads development of humanized murine models that better mimic the solid tumor microenvironment and CAR T cell-induced toxicities. Her goal is to contribute to the advancement of cell-based therapies, and she is excited to grow with the immunotherapy program at City of Hope.

Jason Yang completed his B.A. in molecular and cell biology: cell and developmental biology at University of California, Berkeley, graduating summa cum laude. His scientific interests lie in the fields of molecular engineering and translational immunotherapies. As a research associate at the Priceman Lab, Yang works on developing combination therapy approaches to overcoming the immunosuppressive microenvironment in solid tumors. Additionally, he is the lead molecular engineer for plasmid construction.