Valentina Hoyos

Valentina Hoyos, M.D., is an Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, affiliated with the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center. She holds a Medical Degree (MD) from Javeriana University (2006) and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine (2009). Her clinical focus is on breast cancer treatment, while her research emphasizes improving cellular immunotherapies, particularly T cell therapies targeting tumor-specific antigens and overcoming tumor microenvironment challenges. Key interests include CAR T cell engineering, TRAIL receptor targeting, and personalized therapies for metastatic breast cancer.

Education:

• MD, Javeriana University (2006)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Baylor College of Medicine (2009)
• Residency in Internal Medicine (MeRIT Scholar), Baylor College of Medicine (2014)
• Clinical Fellowship in Oncology, Johns Hopkins University (2017)

Research Interests: Dr. Hoyos is advancing cellular immunotherapies to combat cancer, particularly breast cancer. Her work includes engineering T cells to target tumor-specific antigens like ESR1 mutations and optimizing CAR T cell efficacy by addressing immunosuppressive elements in the tumor microenvironment. She investigates strategies to enhance T cell infiltration and persistence using genes like heparanase and TRAIL receptors.

Grants & Awards:

• CPRIT Scholar (2017–2022)
• Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research Grant (2019–2022)

Advising & Grants: Her research is supported by grants focused on breast cancer therapies and TCR-engineered T cells. She collaborates on clinical trials integrating immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors and explores novel targets like ZP4 for triple-negative breast cancer.

Labs/Teams: Active in Baylor's Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, she leads multidisciplinary teams advancing cell therapy and precision oncology.