Maria Libera Ascierto

Professor Maria Libera Ascierto serves as Professor of Translational Cancer Immunology at the School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, where she leads the Translational Pharmacology and Immunology (TPI) laboratory. Her work focuses on biomarker discovery through precision immunology, utilizing advanced proteomic approaches to decipher immune evasion mechanisms and develop novel immunotherapies for melanoma and gastrointestinal cancers.

Her research centers on cancer immunology and translational pharmacology, with melanoma and GI cancers serving as primary models for studying immunotherapy response and resistance. The TPI laboratory employs cutting-edge techniques including spatial immune profiling, spectral cytometry, and ultrasensitive chemokine/cytokine measurement under GCLP standards to identify resistance patterns and pioneer new immunotherapeutic strategies. Research groups within her lab specialize in Melanoma Immunology, Breast cancer, Colorectal/Lower GI cancers (including gut microbiome), and Liver cancer.

Analysis of her 2016-2025 publications reveals a consistent focus on immunotherapy resistance mechanisms, particularly to anti-PD-1 therapies across multiple cancer types. Her work increasingly integrates multi-omic approaches and spatial biology to characterize tumor microenvironment dynamics, with recent studies examining brain metastases and combination therapies involving durvalumab.

No scientific awards were mentioned in the provided documentation.

Professor Ascierto currently leads the grant "Unchaining spatial omics and immune monitoring in clinical practice through LUNAPHORE technology: Implications for Precision Immunotherapy" funded by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Endowment Funds (2024-2027). While specific advisees aren't listed, her laboratory drives clinical trials and biospecimen research within the University of Glasgow's translational framework.

The TPI laboratory functions as the central hub for translational research at the University, integrating clinical trials, biospecimen analysis, and biomedical informatics. It maintains specialized teams for spatial omics, immune monitoring, and precision immunology, with current projects focused on applying LUNAPHORE technology to clinical practice and investigating oncogenic signaling pathways in immunotherapy response.