Kara Davis

Kara Davis is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine, specializing in Hematology/Oncology. Her research focuses on pediatric blood cancers, particularly B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), using single-cell and high-dimensional analysis to study tumor heterogeneity and treatment resistance.

• Education: B.A. from Pennsylvania State University, D.O. from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pediatrics residency at A.I. DuPont Children’s Hospital, and Heme/Onc fellowship at Stanford.

Her research integrates single-cell technologies like mass cytometry (CyTOF) and computational tools to:

• Model healthy B cell development vs. leukemic divergence
• Predict relapse risks via signaling signatures (e.g., mTOR activity)
• Investigate antigen escape mechanisms in CAR-T therapy
• Develop metabolic vulnerability-targeting strategies
• Design interpretable machine learning algorithms for clinical outcomes

Key trends in her 15 most recent publications include:

• Advancing single-cell data ecosystems (tidyomics, TidyTOF, CyTOFIn)
• Optimizing CD22-CAR T cell manufacturing and safety
• Characterizing microbial DNA post-CAR-T therapy
• Modeling chromosomal translocations in KMT2A-AFF1 fusion leukemias
• Addressing glucocorticoid resistance via kinase inhibitors

Scientific Awards:

• Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Endowed Faculty Scholar (2018)
• Zelencik Scientist (2021)

She leads clinical trials on immunotherapies for relapsed/refractory pediatric cancers and mentors students in the Davis Lab, which emphasizes collaborative science and translational research. Lab members include postdocs, doctoral students, and research analysts working on projects spanning neuroblastoma, metabolic reprogramming, and computational biology.