James P Allison

Dr. James P. Allison is Regental Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He serves as Director of the James P. Allison Institute, Executive Director of the Immunotherapy Platform, and Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Dr. Allison holds the Olga Keith Wiess Distinguished University Chair for Cancer Research and is a leading figure in the field of cancer immunotherapy.

Dr. Allison's research has focused on understanding T cell biology and developing strategies for cancer immunotherapy. His most notable discoveries include determining the T cell receptor structure, identifying CD28 as the major costimulatory molecule for T cell activation, and demonstrating that CTLA-4 inhibits T cell activation. His pivotal insight that blocking CTLA-4 could enhance T cell responses led to tumor rejection in animal models, establishing the field of immune checkpoint blockade therapy for cancer.

Dr. Allison's work has revolutionized cancer treatment, leading to the development of ipilimumab (Yervoy), the first FDA-approved immune checkpoint inhibitor. His discoveries have saved thousands of lives and established immunotherapy as a new pillar of cancer treatment alongside surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

• 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• 2015 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award
• 2014 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
• 2013 AACR-Cancer Research Institute Lloyd J. Old Award in Cancer Immunology
• Member of the National Academy of Sciences
• Member of the National Academy of Medicine

As Director of the James P. Allison Institute, Dr. Allison leads efforts to advance immunotherapy research and develop new treatments that integrate immunotherapy with conventional cancer therapies. His current work focuses on improving existing immune checkpoint blockade therapies and identifying new targets to unleash the immune system against cancer. The Immunotherapy Platform he directs analyzes blood samples and tumor biopsies to better understand response and resistance to treatment, as part of MD Anderson's Moon Shots Program aimed at dramatically reducing cancer deaths.

Dr. Allison continues to mentor researchers and lead groundbreaking work at the intersection of basic immunology and clinical cancer treatment, with the goal of extending immunotherapy benefits to more patients and ultimately eradicating cancer.