James Lee

James Lee, MD is an Assistant Professor in Radiation Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. A physician-scientist with clinical expertise in cancer immunotherapy and melanoma, he leads a research laboratory focused on improving checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive T cell therapy using chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) to cure metastatic solid tumors.

His research expertise centers on designing next-generation CARs and combination checkpoint immunotherapy using immunocompetent mouse models that mimic clinical settings, particularly in the context of tolerant/suppressive tumor microenvironments in solid malignancies and cancer metastasis. His work has identified mechanisms of tumor escape to checkpoint inhibitor therapy in liver metastases, establishing the liver as a model organ of immune tolerance.

Dr. Lee's publication record shows consistent research productivity from 2009-2022, with a focus on CAR T-cell therapy, tumor microenvironment, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and mechanisms of immune resistance in metastatic cancers. His work has received significant attention in the scientific community, with several publications garnering over 100 citations.

Scientific Awards:

• American Medical Association Seed Grant (2006-2007)
• American Society of Hematology Trainee Award (2006-2007)
• Farr Scholar Award for Leadership and Excellence in Biomedical Research (2007-2008)
• American Cancer Society of Connecticut Research Award (2008-2009)
• NIH Immunology T32 (2016-2017)
• A.P. Giannini Fellowship Award (2017-2020)
• Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Project Award (2019-2021)
• Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Bridge Fellow Award (2021-2024)

Dr. Lee is available to mentor faculty on career development, research, and research projects. His research has been supported by substantial grants including the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy awards totaling nearly $3 million to support his work on cancer immunotherapy.

His laboratory work focuses on overcoming the challenges of translating cellular cancer immunotherapy to metastatic solid tumors, particularly addressing why current therapies are insufficient to overcome the naturally tolerogenic microenvironment that protects against autoimmunity across organ sites.