E. John Wherry

E. John Wherry serves as the Richard and Barbara Schiffrin President’s Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. He concurrently directs the Institute for Immunology, leading institutional efforts in immune health research.

His research centers on Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy, Innate and Adaptive Immunity to Pathogens, and Precision Immunology and Measuring Immune Health. Wherry's laboratory investigates fundamental mechanisms of T cell exhaustion, differentiation, and memory formation, with emphasis on epigenetic regulation and transcriptional networks. His work bridges basic immunology with therapeutic applications for cancer, chronic infections, and autoimmune disorders through advanced single-cell technologies and engineered T cell therapies.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals dominant themes in T cell exhaustion biology, particularly the epigenetic and transcriptional regulation governing CD8+ T cell fate decisions during chronic antigen exposure. His research increasingly integrates spatial transcriptomics, multi-omic profiling, and computational approaches to dissect immune responses in cancer, sepsis, and post-viral syndromes. A significant portion of his recent work focuses on CAR T cell engineering and overcoming therapeutic resistance in solid tumors.

As Director of the Institute for Immunology, Wherry fosters interdisciplinary collaborations across Penn's research ecosystem, connecting basic immunologists with clinicians to accelerate translation of immune discoveries into novel diagnostics and therapeutics for immune-mediated diseases.