Ignacio Melero

Ignacio Melero is a full Professor of Immunology at the University of Navarra, Spain, and holds the Kidani Professorship of Cancer Immuno-Therapeutics at the University of Oxford (appointed 2023). He serves as co-chair of the Department of Clinical Immunology and Immunotherapy at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra and leads the research group ITC Estrategias Combinadas en Inmunoterapia Traslacional at Cima Universidad de Navarra.

His educational background includes a medical degree from the University of Navarra, Clinical Immunology residency training, and a 1994 PhD from Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Madrid, focusing on NK and γδ T-cell differentiation antigens.

Dr. Melero pioneers translational cancer immunotherapy through:

• Synergistic combination strategies targeting immune co-stimulation pathways
• Development of immunostimulatory monoclonal antibodies (notably 4-1BB/CD137)
• mRNA-based immunotherapies validated by his ERC-Advanced Grant

His work bridges laboratory discoveries with clinical applications via pharmaceutical industry partnerships.

His major honors include:

• BIAL Medicine Grand Award
• Francisco Cobos prize
• ERC-Advanced Grant for mRNA immunotherapies

As Principal Investigator, he has directed numerous industry-sponsored cancer immunotherapy clinical trials. He serves as Senior Editor for Clinical Cancer Research, Scientific Editor for Cancer Discovery, and holds advisory roles at Institut Curie, Gustave Roussy, Netherlands Cancer Institute, and Granada Biomedical Research Institute.

His laboratory operates within the Cancer Center Clínica Universidad de Navarra (CCUN) at Cima Universidad de Navarra, focusing on translational validation of combinatorial immunotherapies through European consortia partnerships.