Physiology 17th Annual Undergraduate Research Day Speaker: Dr. Daniela Quail

Keynote lecture: "Harnessing the tumor immune microenvironment for cancer therapy"

The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) strongly influences disease progression, from primary tumor growth to establishment of metastatic lesions. As clinical applications for immunotherapy are on the rise, understanding how to harness the immune system to combat cancer at different stages of disease is gaining significant attention in research. Many of these research efforts have been focused on the adaptive immune system, yet there is untapped translational value in leveraging innate effector functions within the myeloid compartment, which is highly abundant within tumours. The Quail lab studies the regulatory mechanisms of myeloid maturation and recruitment into tumours, and tests the hypothesis that targeting specific myeloid states in cancer can be effective against disease progression. By utilizing highly multiplex immune profiling technologies, we are able to gain insight into the vast heterogeneity of myeloid identities within tissues, with the goal of unveiling new strategies to target myeloid populations and enhance immunotherapy responses.

In person Seminar, details in attached poster below