Rongze Lu

Rongze Lu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. Their research focuses on molecular mechanisms mediating immune suppression and evasion in brain tumors, particularly glioblastoma, with the aim of developing novel immunotherapeutics.

• Education: Ph.D. in Cancer Immunology (2011), City of Hope, Duarte, CA

Lu's work investigates how protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) negatively regulates anti-tumor immunity through T cell and macrophage pathways. They demonstrated that PP2A inhibition synergizes with PD-1 blockade in resistant tumors, leading to the ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial (NCT03027388) for recurrent glioblastoma.

Recent publications highlight their work on:

• STING-Type I interferon signaling in glioblastoma
• Tumor-associated macrophage regulation
• Mitochondrial quality control via PINK1-CEACAM1
• PP2A inhibition as a radiosensitizer

Scientific Awards:

• Department of Defense Career Development Award (2020)
• Keystone Early Career Investigator Award (2020)
• City of Hope Berger Foundation Fellowship (2008)

Lu serves as Principal Investigator for multiple grants including NIH RO1NS126501 and DOD PRCRP funding. Their lab explores intersections between immunology, neuro-oncology, and metabolic regulation in brain tumors.