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Avery D. Posey, PhD

Assistant Professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics

Biography

Avery D. Posey, PhD, is an assistant professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, a member of Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center, and a Research Health Scientist at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center. Dr. Posey holds a PhD in Genetics from the University of Chicago, a BS in Biochemistry from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and a second BS in Bioinformatics from UMBC. Dr. Posey completed postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Carl June, where he generated glycosylation-specific chimeric antigen receptors to precisely target tumor-glycoforms of MUC1. The Posey Laboratory focuses on the development of novel cancer therapies that genetically alter cancer patients’ own T cells to improve the ability of the immune system to fight cancer. This research involves antigen discovery to identify tumor-specific targets, engineering strategies to surmount the tumor microenvironment, and altering the signaling influences of T cells to develop robust anti-tumor efficacy.

Read: From CAR-T Therapy to Diversity in STEM, Avery Posey Has Big Ideas

Education & Training

  • 2005: University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), BS Bioinformatics And Computational Biology
  • 2005: University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), BS Biochemistry And Molecular Biology
  • 2011: The University of Chicago, PhD Genetics

Awards & Honors

  • 2020 – 2021 Alan S. Steinberg Scholar in Cancer Research, Abramson Cancer Center
  • 2018 – 2020 Young Investigator’s Award – CureSearch for Children’s Cancer
  • 2017 – 2022 VA Career Development Award-2 1 IK2 BX004183-01
  • 2017 – 2018 Frontiers in Immunology Guest Editor: Special Issue on CAR-T Cells
  • 2017 Distinguished Young Investigator Research Grand Prize - ImmunoOncology Young Investigators’ Forum Junior Faculty Clinical/Translational
  • 2016 Abramson Cancer Center Breast Cancer Pilot Grant
  • 2016 Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research Grant
  • 2016 Keystone Symposia Fellow
  • 2015 American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy Meritorious Abstract Travel Award
  • 2015 Gordon Research Conference Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship
  • 2014 American Society of Hematology Abstract Achievement Award
  • 2014 – 2016 UNCF*Merck Postdoctoral Science Research Fellowship
  • 2011 – 2014 University of Pennsylvania Immunology Training Grant, T32CA009140
  • 2010 Biotechnology Institute Minority Fellow
  • 2010 FASEB MARC Poster/Presentation Travel Award
  • 2008-2010 University of Chicago Cardiovascular Research Training Grant, T32HL007381
  • 2005 – 2008 University of Chicago Genetics & Regulation Training Grant, T32GM007197
  • 2004 University of Chicago McNair Scholar
  • 2003-2005 UMBC MARC U*STAR Trainee
  • 2003-2005 UMBC Meyerhoff Scholar
  • 2001-2003 UMBC University Scholar