I am a clinical trialist and translational researcher leading clinical trials in genitourinary (GU) malignancies. The overall goal of my research is to develop novel therapies for patients with GU cancers. The largest trial that I currently lead is the phase 3 study of sequential combination immunotherapy-based treatment for renal cell carcinoma, “PD-inhibitor nivolumab and ipilimumab vs. VEGF TKI cabozantinib with ipilimumab-nivolumab in metastatic untreated renal cell cancer (PDIGREE).”

This trial studies sequencing approaches for optimal immunotherapy delivery to understand further mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance. Imp...

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I am a clinical trialist and translational researcher leading clinical trials in genitourinary (GU) malignancies. The overall goal of my research is to develop novel therapies for patients with GU cancers. The largest trial that I currently lead is the phase 3 study of sequential combination immunotherapy-based treatment for renal cell carcinoma, “PD-inhibitor nivolumab and ipilimumab vs. VEGF TKI cabozantinib with ipilimumab-nivolumab in metastatic untreated renal cell cancer (PDIGREE).”

This trial studies sequencing approaches for optimal immunotherapy delivery to understand further mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance. Important clinical questions in kidney cancer involve selecting the correct patients for immunotherapy-based treatments and circumventing immunotherapy resistance.

I propose to continue my study chair role in the PDIGREE trial and to greatly expand the correlative work to synergize with ongoing research from kidney cancer experts at UT Southwestern (Aim 1). I will also evaluate circulating tumor cells (CTCs) as real-time biomarkers to uncover biologic underpinnings of immune checkpoint inhibitor resistance through molecular analysis of CTCs (Aim 2). Finally, my proposed investigator-initiated trial evaluating PCSK9 inhibition to improve immunotherapy by increasing MHC-I expression and T-cell infiltration will be performed as part of the UTSW-led DOD Kidney Cancer Clinical Trials Consortium (Aim 3).

In summary, my goal is to understand and overcome immunotherapy resistance by developing novel therapies in GU malignancies. My team will collaborate closely with the strong Kidney Cancer Program and cancer immunology research groups at UTSW. Successful completion of this work is expected to lead to new immunotherapy paradigms to benefit patients in North Texas and enrich and expand clinical research at the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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