NextCure, Inc. announced the appointment of Lisa M. Coussens, PhD, FAACR, to its Scientific Advisory Board. As an accomplished translational tumor immunologist whose research is focused on the role immune cells play in tumor development, Dr. Coussens will support NextCure in its efforts to build and develop its proprietary pipeline of immunomedicines. Dr. Coussens received her PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, and carried out her post-doctoral work at the University of California, San Francisco.

With over 20 years of experience in cancer research, she is currently Professor and Chairwoman of the Cell, Development & Cancer Biology Department, holds the Hildegard Lamfrom Endowed Chair in Basic Science, and is Associate Director for Basic Research in the Knight Cancer Institute at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, OR. She is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards in recognition of her contributions to scientific research, including being an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research, and will be inducted as a Fellow of the Academy of Immuno-Oncology at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer annual meeting in November of this year. In 2022 she was elected to serve as the President of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Dr. Coussens' research focuses on elucidating the role of immune cells in regulating solid tumor development, identifying mechanisms by which immune mechanisms are co-opted to promote cancer development, and in understanding responses to cytotoxic and immune-based therapies. Her research has identified multiple immune-modulatory pathways that are being actively investigated as therapeutic targets for translation to the clinic.