Mara Zeissig

Dr. Mara Zeissig is a Researcher at the University of Adelaide, where she leads the T Cell Immunotherapy Laboratory within the South Australian Immunogenomics Cancer Institute under the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. She completed her PhD at SAHMRI in 2020 and held postdoctoral positions at Monash University and WEHI before establishing her lab in Adelaide in 2025.

Her research focuses on enhancing T-cell-based immunotherapies for solid cancers, particularly lung and pancreatic tumors. By utilizing genetically engineered mouse models and whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 screens, her lab investigates mechanisms of tumor immune evasion and identifies novel immune modulators to improve therapy efficacy. Projects include developing combination therapies for KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer and characterizing resistance mechanisms to KRAS inhibitors.