Sumera I. Ilyas

Sumera I. Ilyas, MBBS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. She holds a joint appointment in the Department of Immunology and serves as a clinician-scientist specializing in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, with subspecialty certification in Transplant Hepatology. Her research focuses on the immunobiology of liver cancer, particularly cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, emphasizing mechanisms of immune evasion and the development of immune-directed therapies. Dr. Ilyas leads the Hepatobiliary Neoplasia Clinic and has an NIH-funded laboratory investigating tumor biology and immunology.

Education includes an MBBS from King Edward Medical College and BSc from the University of Punjab. She completed clinical fellowships in Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology at Mayo Clinic, alongside a postdoctoral research fellowship at the NIH T32 Program under Dr. Gregory J. Gores.

Research interests span cholangiocarcinoma pathogenesis, tumor immune evasion, and translational immunotherapy. Her work employs immunocompetent models and single-cell technologies to study the liver cancer microenvironment. Notable contributions include identifying immunosuppressive myeloid cells' role in cholangiocarcinoma and developing novel therapeutic strategies targeting the immune microenvironment.

Scientific awards include the New Investigator Award (2020) and Research Scholar Award (2018-2021). Dr. Ilyas is actively involved in professional organizations such as the American Gastroenterological Association and the International Liver Cancer Association, contributing to clinical guidelines and research initiatives.

Her clinical practice focuses on managing liver malignancies, cholestatic liver diseases, and liver transplantation. She mentors fellows and postdoctoral researchers, fostering education and innovation in hepatobiliary oncology.