Zoe O'Connor

Zoe O'Connor is an Instructor in the Department of Pediatrics at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), where she joined the faculty. Her research focuses on the role of the gut microbiome in enhancing anti-tumor responses during CAR T-cell therapy for pediatric leukemia patients. Clinically, she specializes in leukemia/lymphoma, lymphoproliferative disorders, and immune-based cancer therapies. She is affiliated with Andrew Y. Koh’s lab, contributing to translational research in pediatric oncology.

Education:

• Bachelor’s in Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin
• M.D., The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
• Pediatric Residency, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (Miami)
• Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship, UTSW

Research Interests: Dr. O'Connor investigates how microbiome composition influences treatment efficacy in pediatric cancers, particularly leveraging CAR T-cell therapies. Her work bridges immunology and oncology to improve outcomes for young patients with leukemia/lymphoma.

Awards/Grants: None explicitly listed.

Labs/Teams: Member of Andrew Y. Koh’s lab at UTSW, collaborating on pediatric cancer immunotherapy.