Welcome to the Kersten Lab
We are fascinated by the crosstalk between the immune system and cancer. Our goal is to understand how cancer cells hijack the normal physiology and function of immune cells to support tumor growth and evade destruction by the immune system. Find out more about our lab and our research here!
Research
Macrophage - T cell crosstalk in the tumor microenvironment
Cancer immunotherapy, harnessing a patient’s immune system to fight cancer, has revolutionized the way we treat cancer. However, a large proportion of patients does not respond to this type of therapy, and we do not fully understand why. In our lab, we study how interactions between different immune cells, specifically tumor-associated macrophages and T cells in the tumor microenvironment, affect anti-tumor immunity with the ultimate goal to improve therapies to fight cancer.
Meet the Team
Kelly Kersten
Principal Investigator
Sofia Lombardi
Research Assistant I
Meenakshi Sudhakaran
Postdoctoral Associate
Sophie Ayma
CIRM SPARK summer student
Aleli Morse
Research Administrative Assistant