Carl June, M.D. - 2018 Recipient
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Carl June, M.D., was the 2018 recipient of the Duane Roth Achievement Award. He is a leading pioneer of T-cell treatments, and his accomplishments have ushered in a new era in immunotherapy that transformed the field as a whole.
In 2011, Dr. June’s research team published findings detailing a new therapy in which patients with refractory and relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia were treated with genetically engineered versions of their own T cells – giving the patient’s own immune system the lasting ability to fight cancer. In 2012, Novartis and the University of Pennsylvania entered an agreement to further develop this therapy, eventually leading to the first FDA approval of a therapy based on gene transfer, Kymriah, in 2017. In addition, his foundational work has sparked a new field of research around these “CAR-T cell therapies” that has transformed the landscape in immuno-oncology. Amidst his success in delivering unique treatment options to the patient, Dr. June believes that there is much more work to be done in the immunotherapy space.
Dr. June is a leading pioneer of T-cell treatments, and his accomplishments have ushered in a new era in immunotherapy that transformed the field as a whole.
Dr. June is the director of translational research and a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine in University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center and Perelman School of Medicine. He maintains a research laboratory at the university. The June Lab studies various mechanisms of lymphocyte activation that relate to immune tolerance and adoptive immunotherapy for cancer and chronic infection.