John Hickey, PhD

T cell therapy uses a person’s own immune cells to fight cancer. It has cured some blood cancers, like leukemia and lymphoma. But it does not work well for solid tumors in organs such as the lung, pancreas, or colon. My research asks why—and how to fix it.One problem is how the cells are grown before they go back into the body. Today, most labs use a “one size fits all” recipe. That recipe helps T cells multiply, but it does not train them for the tough job inside a solid tumor. Another problem is that people are different. Age, sex, and health history can change how T cells grow and work. A third gap is knowledge: we do not fully know what these cells do once they enter a tumor.To solve these challenges, I am building new tools to fine-tune how T cells are prepared and to track how they work in tumors. I will test many preparation methods at the same time and combine advanced imaging and AI to find the best recipes that make T cells that get into tumors, last longer, and fight cancer cells more effectively. The goal is simple: smarter, stronger T cell treatments for solid tumors. If successful, this work will guide doctors to match the right recipe to each patient and cancer. That could mean better responses, fewer side effects, and longer lives.