Ophir Shalem

Ophir Shalem co-developed the first genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screening methodology and has applied it extensively to immuno-oncology, identifying genes that regulate tumor antigen presentation, immune checkpoint expression, and T cell cytotoxicity. His screens in both cancer cells and immune cells have revealed new mechanisms of immune evasion and identified targets for enhancing anti-tumor immunity. He has conducted CRISPR screens in primary human T cells to identify genes whose modulation enhances CAR-T cell persistence and effector function. His methodological innovations in CRISPR screen design and analysis have improved the reliability of genome-scale functional genomics across the cancer research community.