Padmanee Sharma

Padmanee Sharma, MD, PhD is a Professor and Scientific Director of the Immunotherapy Platform at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is internationally recognized for elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying resistance to immune checkpoint blockade, particularly in bladder and prostate cancer. Her laboratory was among the first to demonstrate that compensatory upregulation of co-inhibitory receptors such as TIM-3 and VISTA on tumor-infiltrating T cells constitutes a key adaptive resistance mechanism following PD-1 or CTLA-4 blockade. She conducted landmark serial biopsy studies in bladder cancer patients receiving ipilimumab prior to cystectomy, revealing dynamic intra-tumoral immune reprogramming and identifying immunological signatures predictive of pathological response. Her discovery of ICOS upregulation on CD4+ T cells as a pharmacodynamic biomarker of ipilimumab activity has guided rational combination strategies. Dr. Sharma co-leads the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy node at MD Anderson and has designed numerous phase I/II trials combining checkpoint inhibitors with targeted agents to overcome resistance. Her translational research has directly informed FDA-approved regimens and is shaping the next generation of combinatorial immunotherapy approaches.