Stefani Spranger

Stefani Spranger is an Associate Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), affiliated with the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. She holds roles as Associate Director and member of the Ludwig Center at MIT, the Ragon Institute, and the Broad Institute. Her research focuses on cancer immunology, particularly understanding tumor-immune interactions to improve immunotherapies.

Education:

• Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Ludwig-Maximilians University (Munich)
• PhD in Molecular Immunology from Helmholtz-Zentrum Munich
• Postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago under Thomas F. Gajewski

Research Interests:

Dr. Spranger studies how tumor-intrinsic factors and organ environments shape anti-tumor T cell responses. Her lab investigates dendritic cell-T cell interactions, tumor microenvironment dynamics, and mechanisms of immunotherapy resistance in cancers like lung, ovarian, pancreatic, and melanoma. She develops mouse models to mimic human tumor progression and explores therapies targeting immunosuppressive pathways.

Publications:

Her work highlights breakthroughs in understanding SOX2-driven resistance to checkpoint inhibitors, neoantigen architecture impacts on immune responses, and IL-12/IL-2 combinations to overcome lung cancer resistance. Key findings include the role of tissue-specific interferon-gamma in regulating T cell priming and dendritic cell cross-dressing to enhance immunity.

Awards & Affiliations:

• William Guy Forbeck Research Foundation Scholar
• Pew-Stewart Scholar for Cancer Research
• Elected to the SITC Board of Directors (2019)
• Co-founder of Danger Bio; advisor to Arcus Biosciences, Merck, and others

Labs & Collaborations:

The Spranger Lab integrates immunology, cancer biology, and systems approaches to design therapeutic strategies. Collaborations include studies on T cell exhaustion, tumor heterogeneity, and cytokine engineering for safer therapies.