Daniel Claiborne

Daniel Claiborne, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at The Wistar Institute, where he serves as the Scientific Director of the Histotechnology Facility. He holds appointments at the HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center, Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, and Genome Regulation and Cell Signaling Program within the Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center. Dr. Claiborne is an immunologist focused on understanding how T cell function is modulated to create improved immunotherapies, including CAR T cell therapies, against HIV.

Dr. Claiborne earned his B.S. in Biochemistry from Florida State University and a Ph.D. in Immunology and Molecular Pathogenesis from Emory University. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard and joined The Wistar Institute in 2021 as a Caspar Wistar Fellow.

Dr. Claiborne's research centers on T cell immunotherapies for the treatment of malignancies and chronic diseases. His lab investigates the mechanisms underlying T cell exhaustion to revolutionize T cell immunotherapies like CAR T cell therapy. The Claiborne laboratory leverages HIV-infected humanized mice coupled with HIV-directed CAR T cells to study the evolution of antigen-specific T cell function over time. Key research areas include mapping dysfunctional CAR T cell phenotypes, inhibitory receptor expression kinetics, viral characteristics' influence on HIV-specific T cell function, and the role of the innate immune system in modulating CAR T cell function. His work has significant implications for developing a functional HIV cure through optimized CAR T cell therapies.

Dr. Claiborne's publication record shows a strong trajectory in HIV immunology and immunotherapy research, with increasing interdisciplinary connections between HIV pathogenesis and cancer immunotherapy. His recent work demonstrates expertise in humanized mouse models, CAR T cell engineering, and viral pathogenesis.

• Caspar Wistar Fellow at The Wistar Institute

Dr. Claiborne leads a research team including graduate students (Reyes Acosta from UPenn-CAMB and Federica Severi from UniBO) and postdoctoral fellows (Francesco Pennino and Nur Izzah Binti Ismail). His laboratory has received significant grant support for HIV research, including two grants specifically mentioned to explore using CAR T cells as HIV therapy. The lab maintains active collaborations with researchers at Harvard, MIT, and other institutions, reflecting Dr. Claiborne's strong network from his postdoctoral training at the Ragon Institute.

The Claiborne Laboratory operates within The Wistar Institute's state-of-the-art facilities, with Dr. Claiborne serving as Scientific Director of the Histotechnology Facility. His team utilizes advanced model systems including humanized mice for HIV research and has developed novel in vitro models for chronic antigen stimulation of CAR T cells. The lab's work bridges basic immunology, virology, and translational medicine with the ultimate goal of developing effective immunotherapies for HIV and related conditions.