Sean Lawler

Sean Lawler, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Brown University, leading the Brain Cancer Therapy Lab. He is affiliated with the Brown Cancer Center as co-leader of the CNS Cancer Translational Disease Research Group.

• Specializes in translational approaches for brain tumor therapy
• Previous faculty appointments at Harvard, Ohio State, and University of Leeds
• Focus on glioblastoma and pediatric high-grade glioma

Research interests include:

• Drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier
• Immunotherapy development for brain cancers
• Role of cytomegalovirus in glioblastoma progression

His lab explores three main areas: blood-brain barrier modulation, immune system activation against brain tumors, and CMV-induced cancer growth mechanisms. Recent publications emphasize glioblastoma immunology, drug delivery innovations, and tumor microenvironment dynamics, particularly through STING activation and peptide-drug conjugates.

Dr. Lawler teaches BIOL 1295 - Fundamentals of Cancer Immunotherapy at Brown University.