Suzanne Topalian

Suzanne Topalian conducted the first-in-human clinical trial of nivolumab (anti-PD-1 antibody) demonstrating durable tumor responses across multiple cancer types, one of the most consequential clinical oncology publications in recent history. Her research on PD-1/PD-L1 biology helped establish the mechanistic rationale for anti-PD-1 therapy, characterizing how PD-L1 expression on tumor cells engages PD-1 on tumor-infiltrating T cells to suppress anti-tumor immunity. She developed PD-L1 immunohistochemistry as a biomarker approach and contributed to understanding the relationship between tumor PD-L1 expression and anti-PD-1 response. Her pioneering clinical and translational research helped launch the entire anti-PD-1 field.