Smita K Nair

Smita K Nair is a Professor in the Department of Surgery, Department of Pathology, and Department of Neurosurgery at Duke University. She is also a member of the Duke Cancer Institute, leading the Immunology, Inflammation, and Immunotherapy Laboratory. With 22 years of experience in cancer vaccines and immunotherapy, her work bridges RNA-based therapeutics, dendritic cell biology, and immune checkpoint modulation.

• Education: PhD in Immunology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1993)
• Postdoctoral Training: Dr. Eli Gilboa’s lab, Duke University Medical Center

Her research focuses on innovative cancer immunotherapies, including:

• Dendritic cell vaccines using tumor-antigen RNA
• Local immune receptor modulation (CTLA4, GITR, PD1, etc.)
• Combination therapies with oncolytic poliovirus
• Adoptive T cell therapy (CAR-T, tumor RNA-transfected DCs)
• In vivo RNA delivery via nanoparticles/aptamers

Her 15 most recent articles (2023–2025) highlight advancements in:

• Metastatic cancer immunotherapy
• TLR signaling as a biomarker in prostate cancer
• Poliovirus-induced innate immune activation
• RNA delivery systems for enhanced vaccine efficacy

She has secured multiple NIH/NCI grants for projects like:

• Epigenetic Programming of T Cells
• DAMPs in Pancreatic Metastasis
• Poliovirus Immunotherapy Dynamics

Her scientific awards include:

• Invention of RNA-transfected dendritic cell vaccines
• Establishment of Duke’s first GMP vaccine facility

She leads a multidisciplinary lab team with postdocs and students, collaborating on translational studies from murine models to Phase I clinical trials.