Christopher Klebanoff

Christopher A. Klebanoff, MD, is a Physician Scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and an associate member of the Immuno-Oncology Program and Center for Cell Engineering. He holds an MD from Emory University School of Medicine and leads research at the intersection of genetic engineering and T cell immunobiology to advance adoptive T cell therapy (ACT) for solid tumors. His work focuses on overcoming barriers in antigen targeting and T cell persistence.

• Education: MD, Emory University School of Medicine

Research in the Klebanoff Lab applies single-cell sequencing, biophysical TCR analysis, and CRISPR-Cas9 editing to engineer T cells for solid cancer immunotherapy. Key projects address cross-reactivity in neoantigen targeting, intracellular checkpoint inhibition, and public neoantigen discovery across malignancies like colorectal cancer, glioblastoma, and splicing factor mutant leukemias.

The lab’s recent publications (2023–2025) reveal novel mechanisms in TCR engineering, CISH deletion to enhance T cell efficacy, and RNA splicing aberrations as sources of immunogenic targets. Articles span preclinical models and first-in-human trials, emphasizing non-viral transduction and HLA genotype screening.

• Scientific Awards:
  • NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence (2013)
  • NCI Postdoctoral Fellow of the Year (2011)
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scholarship (2004–2006)
  • AOA National Medical Honor Society (2006)

Klebanoff advises collaborations with companies like Achilles Therapeutics and Affini-T Therapeutics, focusing on equity and intellectual property in cellular therapies. His affiliations include the Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.