Benjamin Y. Lu

Benjamin Y. Lu, MD, PhD, is an Instructor in the Department of Medicine (Medical Oncology) at Yale School of Medicine and a Medical Oncologist at Smilow Cancer Hospital. He specializes in thoracic oncology, focusing on lung, skin, and brain tumors. His research explores immune therapies for primary and metastatic brain tumors, leveraging multi-omic single-cell techniques to study T-cell responses.

Education:

• MD (with Honors in Research), New York University School of Medicine (2015)
• Residency in Internal Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital (2019)
• Fellowship in Medical Oncology, Yale Cancer Center (2022), serving as inaugural Chief Fellow
• PhD in Investigative Medicine (2024), Yale University

Research Interests: Dr. Lu investigates immune evasion mechanisms in brain tumors, T-cell dynamics in tumor microenvironments, and translational applications of spatial omics. His work emphasizes improving immunotherapies for patients with metastatic brain lesions and radiation necrosis.

Awards & Recognition:

• Iva Dostanic Physician-Scientist Trainee Award (2025)
• Emerging Generation Award, American Society of Clinical Investigation (2025)
• K12 Paul Calabresi Career Development Award (2023)
• Conquer Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award (2023)

Grants & Labs: Leads the Tumor Neuroimmunology Lab and collaborates with institutions like the Janeway Society. His funding includes NIH T32 and K12 programs. Current projects explore immune checkpoint inhibitors in brain metastases and single-cell profiling of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

Clinical Practice: Specializes in treating thoracic and neuro-oncological malignancies at Smilow Cancer Hospital. Integrates clinical care with research to advance personalized immunotherapy strategies.