Justin Eyquem

Justin Eyquem is an Assistant Professor at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), leading a research group focused on improving adoptive cell therapies through interdisciplinary approaches at the intersection of immunology, genome editing, synthetic biology, and vectorology. His work addresses critical challenges in CAR and TCR T cell therapy by employing functional genomics, multidimensional single-cell analysis, and synthetic receptor engineering.

• Education:
  • B.S. in Biology/Chemistry (2006), University of Bordeaux
  • Master in Bioengineering (2010), AgroParisTech
  • Master in Genetics (2010), University of Paris VII
  • Ph.D. in Immunology - Molecular Biology (2014), University of Paris VII
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship in Immunotherapy (2019), Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

His research investigates T cell exhaustion via CRISPR screens, develops synthetic receptors to enhance antitumor functions, and optimizes multiplex gene editing for full T cell reprogramming. His lab also pioneers protein/DNA delivery methods to improve gene-edited T cell therapy manufacturing, including directed evolution of AAV vectors for murine T cell engineering. These innovations enable efficient ex vivo and in vivo engineering of T cells in immunocompetent mouse models.

Recent collaborative efforts with the UCSF Myeloma program focus on clinical manufacturing of TRAC-BCMA CAR T cells. His publications demonstrate expertise in CRISPR technology, synthetic biology, and translational immunotherapy.

Scientific Awards & Recognitions:

• Best publication of the year - Cornell/MSKCC Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis (2017)
• Parker Fellow Award (2023)
• ASGCT Outstanding New Investigator Award (2024)
• Pew-Stewart awards