Dr. Taverna is a thoracic oncologist with expertise in lung cancer and drug development, dedicated to advancing translational research that bridges mechanistic discovery with clinical application. Her background in early-phase clinical trials, combined with laboratory-based modeling, supports a biomarker-driven approach to improving outcomes in immunotherapy-resistant cancers. At the Mays Cancer Center, she leads a translational research program focused on dissecting the tumor microenvironment (TME) and identifying actionable therapeutic targets. Dr. Taverna’s lab recently investigated the combined targeting of AXL, STAT3, and PD1 signaling in a syngeneic EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma mouse model using bemcentinib, pacritinib, and a PD1 inhibitor. This regimen was well tolerated and demonstrated significant tumor growth inhibition, reduced tumor vascularization, and suppression of tumor-associated macrophages and endothelial cells. Importantly, it enhanced infiltration of cytotoxic T cells, NK cells, and NKT cells—highlighting a novel strategy to reprogram the TME and restore antitumor immunity. These findings support clinical translation in immunotherapy-refractory NSCLC and are now informing an investigator-initiated, biomarker-driven phase II clinical trial.
Research Impact: By leveraging preclinical models, cutting-edge single-cell and spatial analytics, and integrative biomarker studies, her lab’s approach has the potential to transform treatment paradigms —offering a more effective and less toxic therapeutic strategy. She remains fully committed to multidisciplinary collaboration and translational science that accelerates the development of personalized cancer therapies.
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