The focus of this translational research laboratory is to investigate innovative means to modulate the immune response to cancer as well as to better understand the mechanistic basis for sensitivity and resistance to currently available immunotherapies.
My clinical experience has been focused on the development and investigation of novel immunotherapeutic approaches to the treatment of cancer. I first initiated a program in xenogeneic DNA vaccination and followed the translational pathway from initial mouse studies through on-site GMP manufacturing and eventually leading phase I trials.
As part of this endeavor, I collaborated with veterinary oncologists at the Animal Medical Center of NY and co-led clinical trials of DNA vaccines for canine melanoma. These resulted in the USDA approval of a tyrosinase DNA vaccine as the first approved therapeutic cancer vaccine for any species. My clinical research efforts have led to the FDA approval of the CTLA-4 blocking antibody ipilimumab and the PD-1 blocking antibodies pembrolizumab and nivolumab for metastatic melanoma. A trial of combined CTLA-4 + PD-1 blockade designed led by me was led to the approval of the first immunotherapy combination treatment in melanoma and also led to successful registration trials in other cancers.
As the Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine, my research focus continues to be on immunotherapy, but now also includes a major commitment to ensuring access to cancer care and clinical trials across a densely populated area of New York City. I co-lead an R01-funded basic science laboratory focused on investigating novel immunotherapeutic agents and combination approaches in pre-clinical mouse models.
The major areas of focus of my research converge on exploration of rational means to induce clinical response in patients whose tumors are either primarily refractory or secondarily resistant to CTLA-4 and/or PD-1 blockade. This includes specific emphasis on: (1) enhancing antigen presentation with intratumoral therapies (CD40, oncolytic viruses), (2) optimizing the use of agonists for co-stimulatory pathways (GITR, OX40), (3) systematically investigating the immunologic effects of targeted therapies for use in combination with immune modulators, (4) supplementing the immune repertoire with engineered melanoma specific T cells and (5) developing armored CAR T cells for melanoma and other solid tumors.
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Biography
Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD, FAACR, FAIO, FASCO, is the Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine, Chief, Cancer Services, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine, and Professor of Medicine. Jedd is a clinician-scientist exploring innovative immunotherapeutic strategies in laboratory models. He helped establish immunotherapy as a standard approach to cancer treatment. The focus research laboratory is to investigate innovative means to modulate the immune response to cancer as well as to better understand the mechanistic basis for sensitivity and resistance to currently available immunotherapies.
Distinctions:
Ludwig Distinguished Clinical Scholar, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Fellow of the Academy of Immuno-Oncology, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
National Academy of Medicine Member, National Academy of Medicine
Class of Fellows of the AACR Academy, American Association for Cancer Research
AACR Board of Directors, American Association for Cancer Research
David Karnofksy Memorial Award , American Society of Clinical Oncology
ESMO Award for Immuno-Oncology, European Society for Medical Oncology
AACR Joseph H Burchenal Award, American Association for Cancer Research
Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO), American Society of Clinical Oncology
Selected Publications:
Wolchok JD, Chiarion-Sileni V, Rutkowski P, Cowey CL, Schadendorf D, Wagstaff J, Queirolo P, Dummer R, Butler MO, Hill AG, Postow MA, Gaudy-Marqueste C, Medina T,. Lao C D, Walker J, Márquez-Rodas I, Haanen J, Guidoboni M, Maio M, Schöffski P, Carlino MS, Sandhu S,. Lebbé C, Ascierto PA, Long GV, Ritchings C, Nassar A, Askelson M, Benito MP, Wang W, Hodi FS and Larkin J. "Final, 10-Year Outcomes with Nivolumab plus Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma." N Engl J Med. 2025;392(1):11-22;18.
Weng C, Assouvie A, Dong l, Beltra JC, Budhu S, Mangarin L, Marouf Y, Morgado-Palacin L, Liu C, Monette S, Khan JF, Schulze I, Zamarin D, Hamadene L, Samaan F, Hirschhorn D, Stephane Pourpe S, Schroder D, Zappasodi R, Holland PM, Anandasabapathy N, Wherry EJ, Wolchok JD, Merghoub T. Thrombospondin-1-CD47 signaling contributes to the development of T cell exhaustion in cancer. Nat Immunol. 2025 Dec;26(12):2296-2311;16.
