Pedro R. Lowenstein

Pedro R. Lowenstein, M.D., Ph.D., is the Richard C. Schneider Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan. He earned his MD (Cum Laude) and PhD (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine. His career includes postdoctoral work at Johns Hopkins Hospital, NIH/NINDS, and Oxford University, with prior academic appointments at the University of Dundee, University of Wales at Cardiff, University of Manchester, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and UCLA.

Research Focus

Dr. Lowenstein's laboratory pioneers translational brain tumor immunotherapies and investigates tumor-immune interactions through:

• Innate immune responses to gliomas, focusing on TLR7-activated NK cell pathways via tumor-derived exosomal miRNAs
• Clinical development of gene-immunotherapies (Phase I trial: NCT01811992) using Flt3L-dendritic cell recruitment and antigen exposure
• Analysis of tumor self-organization mechanisms, particularly oncostream structures regulated by molecular targets like Col1a1

Training and Collaboration

He mentors graduate students in immunology and cancer biology, employing advanced methodologies including:

• Spatial genomics and two-photon microscopy
• Computational modeling of tumor dynamics
• Laser scanning microdissection for molecular profiling

Current advisee Brandon McClellan (PhD Candidate) studies how glioma heterogeneity modulates anti-tumor immunity.