Dr. Joseph Fraietta completed his doctoral studies in Microbiology and Immunology and proceeded to a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania under the tutelage of Drs. Carl June and Marcela Maus. Here, he drove critical advancements in T cell genetic modification for cancer treatment, contributing to the FDA approval of the first CAR T cell therapy. Today, as Principal Investigator of his research laboratory as well as Director of Translational and Correlative Sciences in the renowned Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, Dr. Fraietta spearheads efforts to elucidate factors influencing response and resistance in patients undergoing cell-based immunotherapies, aiming to enhance therapeutic outcomes. His seminal work encompasses the first identification of molecular and cellular biomarkers tied to patient responses to CAR T cell therapy, the discovery that a single epigenetically-programmed CAR T cell can expand and effect sustained leukemia remission in a human, and co-leading the first-in-human clinical trial of CRISPR/Cas9-engineered T cells. A tenure-track faculty member at the Perelman School of Medicine Department of Microbiology, Dr. Fraietta’s high-impact findings are frequently published in top-tier journals including Nature and Science. Among his honors, he holds the 2019 National Clinical Research Award, which recognizes the ten most outstanding clinical research accomplishments in the United States during the preceding twelve months. Further highlighting his commitment to medical science progression, he was recently invited to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. where he spoke to congressional leaders about the importance of translational research and the need for continued funding.