Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy

PICI President of Research @mellmani and @UCLA Health’s PICI Center Director Antoni Ribas will be keynote speakers at the Tumor-Immune Systems Biology Symposium hosted by @MSKCancerCenter on May 18th. Join us in New York at the Zuckerman Research Center to hear from leading voices shaping the future of cancer immunotherapy. Register here: mskcc.org/event/center-f…

Congratulations to PICI President of Research @MellmanIra and Zhen Su (@MyOncology) of @MarengoTx on an outstanding session at the ABI Conference in Cambridge last month on “The Coming Renaissance of Cancer Immunotherapy.” The conversation centered on how breakthroughs in immune engineering, translational science, and accelerated development models are converging to transform cancer treatment, driving meaningful momentum as innovation speeds up and the potential to improve patient outcomes expands. Learn more about the session here: abiconference.com

New PICI-supported research from the RADIOHEAD cohort and PICI Research Director EnJun Yang suggests that the medications patients take when starting immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment may affect survival outcomes in real-world cancer care. In a study of over 1,000 patients treated with ICIs, researchers found that polypharmacy – taking five or more medication classes at treatment initiation – was associated with worse overall survival. Baseline use of opioids and beta-blockers was also associated with reduced survival benefit, even after accounting for clinical factors. These findings highlight how commonly prescribed medications may influence immunotherapy effectiveness and point to a potentially modifiable factor that could help improve cancer treatment outcomes beyond clinical trial settings. Learn more here: doi.org/10.1016/j.medj…

Thanks to @CancerResrch for co-hosting “Unlocking Next-Generation Therapies” this week in Washington, DC, convening leaders from academia, regulatory agencies, and patient advocacy to discuss how to accelerate the development and delivery of next-generation cell-based therapies. A key highlight from the program was PICI Chief Scientific Officer @John_E_Connolly moderating a session on operationalizing risk-based flexibility in CMC across the product lifecycle, a critical lever for enabling faster, more adaptive development pathways without compromising rigor. Learn more about the meeting and panelists here: bit.ly/4sZadyf

Honored to moderate a fantastic panel on a key bottleneck in #celltherapy @parkerici @US_FDA @AllogeneTx @AstraZeneca @IovanceBio

We’re excited to share that Aimee Johnson has joined PICI as Chief Marketing Officer. A seasoned marketing leader with more than 30 years of experience, Aimee will lead brand, marketing, and digital strategy in support of PICI’s impact and growth. Her leadership will strengthen our ability to amplify our mission and accelerate the development and delivery of breakthrough cancer therapies. Please join us in welcoming Aimee to PICI! Read more here: parkerici.org/the-latest/par…

Last chance to register! Join us Wednesday in DC or virtually for our "Unlocking Next-Generation Therapies" meeting: bit.ly/4sZadyf. This free event will bring together experts across industries to explore innovative approaches in cell therapy development.

Congratulations to PICI External Affairs Officer, Kristen Dahlgren, for an outstanding session at AACR last week: “From Bench to Buzz: Making Your Research Resonate for More Funding and Attention.” Kristen joined @TuftsUniversity’s @jayeperview and @ComedyCures Foundation’s @sarannelive to lead a discussion on why, amid rising misinformation, AI-driven noise, and funding constraints, clear and compelling communication is critical to ensure groundbreaking science reaches audiences positioned to move it forward.

A year after NIH funding cuts, 27% of researchers report their funding hasn’t been restored. This is not just budgets; it is the future of science, and the impact is already being felt, as @cassiemcgrath_ reports in @HealthcareBrew. As PICI CEO @DrKarenKnudsen shared with Healthcare Brew, these funding cuts have a large impact on researchers and patients, and stall bold innovative science. PICI is working to keep progress moving by backing high-risk, high-reward science and accelerating collaboration to turn all cancers into curable diseases. Read Cassie’s full piece here: healthcare-brew.com/stories/2026/0…

PICI hosted a dinner during this week’s #AACR event, bringing together leaders across the immunotherapy space. It was an evening focused on collaboration, innovations, and advancing progress in immunotherapy.

Catch PICI President of Research @MellmanIra at the ABI Conference this week! He’ll join Zhen Su( @MyOncology) of @MarengoTx for a session titled “The Coming Renaissance of Cancer Immunotherapy,” where they’ll discuss the future of the field and how ongoing innovation can help drive better patient outcomes. Learn more about the session here: abiconference.com

Congratulations to Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, FAACR, Director of PICI Center at @UCLA, on receiving the 2026 @AACR Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research. Dr. Ribas serves as a professor of medicine, surgery, and molecular and medical pharmacology at UCLA, and as a director of the Tumor Immunology Program at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Thank you for your continued leadership in advancing cancer research and immunotherapy. Read more here: aacr.org/about-the-aacr…

PICI Chief External Affairs Officer Kristen Dahlgren is serving as a Meeting Chair at @AACR's Annual meeting and leading two sessions focused on how storytelling and survivor perspectives can help accelerate cancer research. Catch her sessions: ✔️April 18: Anatomy Lesson: Finding the Heart in Your Science (ED58 - From Bench to Buzz: Making Your Research Resonate for More Funding and Attention) abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/21436/s… ✔️April 21: How Survivor-Driven Priorities Can Accelerate Research Innovation (F008 – Reducing Research Friction: How Scientists and Survivors Can Accelerate Progress) abstractsonline.com/pp8/#!/21436/s…

The PICI network will have a major presence at the @AACR Annual Meeting this weekend, showcasing the latest immunotherapy and cancer research! PICI leaders, investigators, and collaborators are contributing to nearly 100 posters, presentations, and discussions throughout the program, highlighting the network’s contributions to immunotherapy. Read more about PICI’s presence at the event: parkerici.org/the-latest/par…

Thanks to @BBC_Future and @JamieDucharme for reporting on the next wave of immunotherapy reshaping cancer care in her recent piece, “It’s incredible, like science fiction”: How a new wave of immunotherapy is eliminating cancers. In the article, PICI CEO @DrKarenKnudsen underscores a key shift: cancer isn’t one disease, but many, requiring more precise and personalized approaches. The article also highlights real clinical momentum, including patients seeing complete tumor disappearance in select cases, and features work from leading PICI-affiliated institutions like @DanaFarberNews, @UTMDAnderson, @MSKCancerCenter, and @WeillCornell. Read the full piece here: bbc.com/future/article…

Thanks to @RLCscienceboss from @Endpoints News for covering PICI’s merger with the Cancer Vaccine Coalition. In his piece, Ryan highlights how the partnership marks a significant step forward for cancer vaccine research. Through this integration, cancer vaccines will continue to be a core strategic priority for PICI, with a focus on accelerating progress in mRNA and other vaccine approaches, building on early clinical successes, and expanding access to promising innovations through increased funding and collaboration. Read here: endpoints.news/parker-institu…

We’re excited to welcome @kristendahlgren to PICI as Chief External Affairs Officer. With a unique blend of storytelling expertise, patient advocacy, and lived experience as a breast cancer survivor, she will help advance PICI’s mission to accelerate the development of transformative cancer treatments and strengthen cross-sector collaboration in cancer immunotherapy. parkerici.org/the-latest/par…

We’re excited to announce a strategic integration between PICI & Cancer Vaccine Coalition (CVC) to help accelerate the next generation of cancer vaccines. Together, PICI and CVC will work to advance cancer vaccine research and development, helping to bridge the gaps between scientific discovery and patient access. We’re helping to bring promising cancer vaccine strategies closer to patients, particularly those at high risk of cancer recurrence. Read more on the news here: parkerici.org/the-latest/par…

Join PICI in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, May 6th, for “Unlocking Next-Generation Therapies,” hosted in partnership with @CancerResrch. This meeting will bring together leaders across academia, industry, regulatory, and patient advocacy to explore how to advance next-generation, cell-based therapies and accelerate their development. Secure your spot today! friendsofcancerresearch.org/event/unlockin…