Padmanee Sharma

Immunologist and oncologist
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dr. Sharma, MD, PhD, is an immunologist and oncologist, focused on investigating mechanisms and pathways within the immune system that facilitate tumor rejection or elicit resistance to immune checkpoint therapy. She is Professor in the departments of Genitourinary Medical Oncology and Immunology, Associate VP of Immunobiology and the T.C. and Jeanette D. Hsu Endowed Chair in Cell Biology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is inaugural Scientific Director for the Immunotherapy Platform and Director of Scientific Programs for the James P. Allison Institute at MD Anderson.

She has written and conducted multiple innovative immunotherapy clinical trials, emphasis on obtaining patients’ tumor samples for in-depth laboratory studies, including the first neoadjuvant trial with immune checkpoint therapy and first clinical trial with immune checkpoint therapy for patients with bladder cancer. Her studies have identified novel resistance mechanisms to immune checkpoint therapy, including loss of interferon signaling, VISTA⁺ immunosuppressive cells, increased EZH2 expression in T cells, TGFβ signaling in bone metastases, and CD73⁺ myeloid cells in GBM. These data have led to initiation of new research studies focused on developing rational combination immunotherapy strategies for the treatment of cancer patients.

She was selected as member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation; awarded the Emil Frei III Award for Excellence in Translational Research in 2016, Coley Award for Distinguished Research for Tumor Immunology in 2018, Women in Science with Excellence Award in 2020, Heath Memorial Award in 2021 and Randall Prize for Excellence in Cancer Research in 2021.