Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, United States
My name is Daniel Wilkinson and I received my PhD in Immunology prior to beginning my current postdoctoral training at Duke University. My training has focused on various aspects of immunological research, particularly autoimmune disease (pre-doctoral) and cancer (post-doctoral). During my pre-doctoral training, I studied the breakdown of immune tolerance in the context of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with the primary goal of re-stablishing immune homeostasis and reversing disease course. This was accomplished by administering tolerogenic fusion proteins or by adoptive immunotherapy with ex-vivo induced regulatory T cells. While performing this work, I developed a passion for neuroimmunology and the intricacies involved in ‘immune privilege’ maintained by the central nervous system. This passion led me to seek a role as a post-doctoral associate in the Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program within the Department of Neurosurgery at Duke University. During my postdoc and currently as a senior research associate, I primarily focus on developing novel T cell-redirecting therapies, specifically chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and Bi-specific T cell engager (BiTE) platforms, for glioblastoma (GBM), and, to a broader extent, other solid tumors. CAR and BiTE-based therapies often fail in GBM due to the vast antigenic heterogeneity displayed by these tumors. Thus, novel targeted therapeutic strategies will be required to efficiently treat patients with GBM. Moreover, GBM also imposes profound local and systemic immunosuppression. Thus, an additional goal of my research is to better understand the impact GBM has on the local and systemic immune compartment, so that we can potentially enhance antitumor immunity. Throughout the course of my short career, I have been exposed and become proficient in a wide range of techniques including protein design/ expression, tissue culture, and preclinical models of neuroinflammation and neuro-oncology.
