Rongze "Olivia" Lu, PhD
Research Interests: Immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment, cross-talk between cancer cells and immune cells
Dr. Lu’s research is focused on investigating the molecular mechanisms of immune suppression and evasion in brain-tumor microenvironment with the goal of developing novel immunotherapeutics for brain cancer. Her previous research has identified that protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) regulates immune suppression in T cells in multiple tumor models including brain tumor. Based on those findings, a Phase II trial of PP2A inhibitor is ongoing at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for recurrent glioblastoma.
Dr. Lu received her doctorate in cancer immunology from Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. She then pursued postdoctorate studies at Genentech. After her postdoc training, she joined Medimmune/AstraZeneca and later on AbbVie to lead multiple drug discovery programs for inflammatory diseases and cancer. Before joining UCSF, she was an assistant professor at University of Texas, Austin.
PhD, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
Postdoctoral fellowship, Genentech
2019-2022: Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, UT Austin
2019-2022: Faculty, Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology, UT Austin
2022-2023: Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, UCSF
2023-present: Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, UCSF
2020: U.S. Department of Defense Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program Career Development Award
2020: Keystone Early Career Investigator Award
2018: Abbvie Oncology Excellence Award
2017: Abbvie Oncology Bistro Award
2011: American Association of Immunologists Trainee Travel Award
2011: Finalist, American Association for Cancer Research Travel Award
2010: 1st Place, annual City of Hope Poster Session
2008: H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation Fellowship
2003-2007: Outstanding Student Scholarship, Tongji University
2005: 100 Best Students Award, Tongji University