The ImmunoVerse™

Dr. Patrick Hwu speaks with Dr. Miriam Merad, a leading physician-scientist in dendritic cell and macrophage biology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Merad reflects on her path from medicine to immunology and discusses how tissue-resident macrophages help maintain organ health but can also be fooled by tumors into supporting cancer growth. The conversation explores ways to repro...

Dr. Patrick Hwu sits down with Dr. Jennifer Wargo, Professor of Surgical Oncology and Genomic Medicine, leader of the platform for innovative microbiome and translational research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, to discuss how the tumor microbiome and host factors shape cancer development and response to immunotherapy. Together, they explore the growing evidence that cancer i...

Dr. Patrick Hwu sits down with Dr. Greg Delgoffe, professor of immunology at the University of Pittsburgh and director of the Tumor Microenvironment Center at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, to explore how the tumor microenvironment functions as a complex, dynamic ecosystem that shapes the success or failure of cancer immunotherapy. Together, they unpack how tumors are far more than just cancer cells—...

Dr. Patrick Hwu sits down with Dr. Bernie Fox, a pioneering immunologist and chief of the Laboratory of Molecular and Tumor Immunology at Providence Cancer Institute. The conversation spans the early days of immunotherapy, including their shared training roots in the NIH Surgery Branch under Dr. Steve Rosenberg, and moves into today’s cutting-edge science. Dr. Fox explains the emerging concept of...

Dr. Patrick Hwu is joined by Dr. Jedd Wolchok, director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell, and a global leader in immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Dr. Wolchok recounts his early days in the lab of immunotherapy legend Dr. Lloyd Old and reflects on the transformational impact of CTLA-4 and PD-1 inhibitors. A key architect of these therapies’ clinical success, he share...

Dr. Patrick Hwu speaks with Dr. Drew Pardoll, a pioneering leader in tumor immunology and director of the Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Pardoll reflects on his early path into immunology and the scientific discoveries that helped establish immunotherapy as a transformative approach to cancer treatment. The conversation explores how tumors suppress immune...

Dr. Patrick Hwu welcomes Dr. Suzanne Topalian, Bloomberg-Kimmel Professor of Cancer Immunotherapy at Johns Hopkins and Director of the Melanoma Program at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Topalian shares her journey from surgical residency to groundbreaking research in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and immune checkpoint blockade. She discusses the evolution of PD-1 inhibi...

Dr. Patrick Hwu welcomes Dr. Robert Vonderheide, director of the Abramson Cancer Center and Vice Dean for Cancer Programs at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Vonderheide shares his journey from early skepticism about cancer immunotherapy to pioneering work in tumor antigen discovery, vaccine development, and activating the CD40 pathway. He discusses the unique chal...

Dr. Patrick Hwu welcomes Dr. Sandra Demaria, Professor of Radiation Oncology and Pathology at Weill Cornell Medicine and a global leader in cancer immunology. Dr. Demaria shares her pioneering research demonstrating how radiotherapy can transform tumors unresponsive to immune checkpoint inhibitors into responsive ones—a discovery that has reshaped cancer treatment strategies worldwide.   Recorded...

Dr. Patrick Hwu welcomes Dr. Mario Sznol, professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine and co-director of the Cancer Immunology Program at Yale Cancer Center. Dr. Sznol shares his journey from early work with high-dose interleukin-2 at the NCI to leading pivotal trials in checkpoint blockade and combination immunotherapies. He discusses the science behind cytokines, immune checkpoints, bispeci...

Dr. Patrick Hwu welcomes Dr. Fred Locke, chair of Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center. Dr. Locke shares his personal and professional journey into CAR T-cell therapy, shaped in part by his own father’s cancer battle. A leader in pivotal clinical trials, Dr. Locke explains how engineered T cells are transforming lymphoma treatment — offering durable, some...

Dr. Patrick Hwu sits down with Dr. Thomas Gajewski, a leader in tumor immunology at the University of Chicago. Dr. Gajewski discusses his pioneering work defining “hot” versus “cold” tumors — an insight that transformed how immunotherapists understand tumor response. The conversation dives into how the tumor microenvironment, patient genetics and even the gut microbiome shape immune activity in ca...

Dr. Patrick Hwu welcomes Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee of Johns Hopkins, a renowned leader in cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Jaffee shares the personal and scientific journey that led her to tackle one of oncology’s toughest challenges: pancreatic cancer. From her early fascination with virology to pioneering the use of genetically modified tumor vaccines, she has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in can...

Host Dr. Patrick Hwu sits down with immunotherapy pioneer Dr. James Mulé to discuss the origins and evolution of T cell therapies, groundbreaking discoveries at the NCI, and the translation of research to patient care at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Host Dr. Patrick Hwu sits down with trailblazing immunologist Dr. Phil Greenberg of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center to explore how engineered T cells are revolutionizing cancer treatment. From early experiments in synthetic biology to today's clinical breakthroughs, Dr. Greenberg shares his decades-long journey to harness and rewire the immune system, turning obstacles into opportunities and transfo...

In the premiere episode of The ImmunoVerse, host Dr. Patrick Hwu sits down with pioneering physician-scientist Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg, Chief of Surgery Branch at the National Cancer Institute. Together, they explore the roots of Dr. Rosenberg’s fascination with the immune system, tracing his remarkable journey from early scientific curiosity to the groundbreaking immunology discoveries that have...

Welcome to The ImmunoVerse™, a podcast exploring the past, present, and future of immunotherapy. In each episode, join Dr. Patrick Hwu as he sits with pioneering experts who are shaping the future of cancer treatment—uncovering breakthroughs, challenges, and the science driving this life-saving innovation. Don’t miss out—subscribe to The ImmunoVerse™ now and listen on your favorite podcast platfor...