Stanley Riddell

Dr. Stanley Riddell is a world-renowned Professor at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in the Translational Science and Therapeutics Division. He holds the Burke O'Reilly Family Endowed Chair in Immunotherapy and serves as a Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Riddell is a member of multiple integrated research centers including the Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center (IIRC), Pathogen-Associated Malignancies Integrated Research Center (PAM IRC), and Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center (TDS IRC).

Dr. Riddell's educational background includes an MD from the University of Manitoba (1979), followed by a residency in Internal Medicine (1983) and fellowship in Hematology (1985), both also at the University of Manitoba. His clinical expertise centers on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for leukemias and lymphomas, treating graft-versus-host disease, and developing T cell-based therapies for viral infections and cancers.

As a pioneer in immunotherapy research, Dr. Riddell focuses on harnessing T cell biology to develop groundbreaking cancer treatments. His laboratory was instrumental in developing the first human trial of transferred therapeutic T cells to prevent cytomegalovirus infections after stem cell transplantation. His team's breakthroughs include identifying optimal T cell subsets for therapy, developing techniques for isolation and genetic modification of therapeutic T cells, and creating engineered receptors like CARs targeting CD19, BCMA, and ROR1. Dr. Riddell's work has demonstrated remarkable efficacy, with 93% remission rates in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients treated with CD19 CAR T cells.

Analysis of Dr. Riddell's recent publications reveals a strong focus on overcoming challenges in CAR T-cell therapy for solid tumors, particularly breast cancer and lung cancer. His research increasingly addresses metastasis prevention, tumor immune evasion mechanisms, and precision engineering of CAR constructs. Current work emphasizes optimizing T cell subset composition, developing neoantigen-targeted therapies, and creating molecular switches for safer, more effective treatments.

• Burke O'Reilly Family Endowed Chair in Immunotherapy

Dr. Riddell has led numerous clinical trials translating laboratory discoveries into patient treatments. His team developed critical techniques now broadly used in adoptive immunotherapies, including methods for identifying tumor antigens recognized by T cells and rapidly multiplying disease-fighting T cells. Current research focuses on understanding the mechanisms behind both the anti-cancer effects of donor T cells and their role in graft-versus-host disease, dissecting how cancers evade T cell responses, identifying tumor antigens, and elucidating intrinsic T cell properties important for effective therapy. His lab continues to refine approaches to target multiple myeloma and solid tumors while addressing common toxicities of CAR T-cell therapies.

The Riddell Lab maintains a robust research program with multiple integrated projects spanning basic T cell biology, receptor engineering, preclinical modeling, and clinical translation. The lab employs various animal models to evaluate new strategies, including human tumor xenografts and orthotopic models. Current emphasis includes developing personalized cancer vaccines targeting tumor-specific neoantigens and creating next-generation CAR constructs with improved safety and efficacy profiles.