Russell Jones

Russell Jones demonstrated that mTOR-dependent metabolic reprogramming determines CD8 T cell effector versus memory fate decisions, and that modulating mTOR activity during T cell priming can program enhanced anti-tumor memory responses with superior recall capacity upon tumor rechallenge. His work on nutrient sensing in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes revealed that amino acid restriction in the tumor microenvironment activates GCN2 stress kinase signaling that drives T cell anergy and dysfunction. He develops mTOR modulators and metabolic adjuvants that optimize T cell metabolic programming during cancer vaccination and adoptive cell therapy.