W. Martin Kast

W. Martin Kast, PhD, is a Professor of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Urology, and Otolaryngology at the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCC) at the University of Southern California. He holds the Walter A. Richter Cancer Research Chair and serves as Director of multiple programs, including the NCCC Tumor Micro-environment Program and the USC Medical Biology & Infectious Diseases Immunology and Pathogenesis Graduate Programs. His research focuses on designing therapeutic cancer vaccines targeting HPV and prostate cancer, with clinical trials underway. Kast has published over 286 articles, holds 18 patents, and received awards such as the USC Commercialization Award and the Landsteiner Prize.

Education:

• BS, MS, PhD (summa cum laude) in Molecular Microbiology & Immunology from the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands

Research Interests:

• Mechanisms of HPV immune evasion
• Development of therapeutic vaccines for HPV-associated cancers
• Immune modulation in tumor microenvironments
• Public health strategies to address vaccine hesitancy

Grants & Funding: NIH grants support his research. He leads the Beckman Center for Immune Monitoring and advises six biotechnology companies.

Labs & Teams:

• Kast Lab at the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Beckman Center for Immune Monitoring