Events

Sascha Haubner, MD (left) Assistant Professor of Medicine Department of Medicine, Hematology & Oncology Program: Precision Oncology and Systems Biology (POSB) Title: "Calibrated T cell engineering to safely target acute myeloid leukemia" Description: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy has yielded remarkable outcomes in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but re-directing conventional CAR designs against myeloid antigens has been complicated by myeloablation and early relapses in acute myeloid leukemia patients. In this talk, I will discuss our recent advances in using logic-gated approaches, cooperative CAR targeting and cytokine engineering to more effectively drive CAR T activity against AML without harming normal hematopoietic cells. I will further demonstrate how humanized mouse models can be utilized to pre-clinically model CAR-associated hematological toxicities and to de-risk novel CAR designs for eventual clinical translation. Matthew Gallitto, MD, PhD (right) Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Columbia University Medical Center Department of Radiation Oncology Program: Tumor Biology and Microenvironment (TBM) Title: "From Radiation to Delivery: Novel Therapeutic Strategies for Pediatric Diffuse Midline Glioma" Description: Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a devastating pediatric brain tumor with a near 100 percent fatality rate. Radiation therapy (RT) is the only upfront standard treatment despite providing only transient benefit. A major obstacle to therapeutic progress is the intact blood–brain barrier (BBB), which limits effective drug delivery to infiltrative tumor cells within the brainstem. In this talk, I will discuss strategies to overcome the BBB by combining RT with targeted drug delivery approaches. I will highlight emerging clinical and preclinical efforts using focused ultrasound and convection-enhanced delivery to improve intratumoral drug penetration, and describe how molecular profiling and network-based drug prediction algorithms can identify the next-generation of radiosensitizers. Together, these approaches illustrate a framework for coupling precision drug delivery with the only upfront standard of care, RT, to advance translational therapies for pediatric DMG. Zoom information https://columbiacuimc.zoom.us/j/98062087107?pwd=ODN1TFwbtR23dO0Pk7Bq73td7fG91L.1 Meeting ID: 980 6208 7107 Passcode: 267022

A 60-minute session for Columbia Faculty.  Inclusive practices can empower students to engage in deeper, more meaningful learning experiences, but creating an equitable learning environment can be a challenge in the clinical setting. This session will outline the importance of inclusive teaching in the clinical setting and examine how the 5 principles of inclusive teaching outlined in the CTL’s guide for inclusive teaching could be applied to the clinical education environment.   After attending this workshop, participants should be able to:  Articulate the 5 principles outlined in the CTL’s Guide for Inclusive Teaching Identify strategies for applying the first 4 principles of inclusive teaching to the clinical environment Unable to join us for this workshop? Engage with the CTL’s Guide for Inclusive Teaching at Columbia. You can also schedule a consultation, or find other workshops on our CTL events calendar.

Title: The ZMPSTE24 Protease: Known Role in Lamin A Processing and a New Role in Membrane Protein Topology Speaker: Susan A Michaelis, PhD Professor of Cell Biology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Hosted by: Howard J Worman, MD Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology Department of Pathology and Cell Biology Gregg G. Gundersen, PhD Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology Department of Pathology and Cell Biology

CAR T Cells: A Practical Guide to Biology, Safety, and Success Joseph Fraietta, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine About the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy Seminar Series The Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET) presents its 2026 Winter–Spring Seminar Series, featuring leading investigators in human cell engineering and cellular immunotherapy. The series highlights advances across basic, translational, and clinical research in the field.