Maria Castro

Company: University of Michigan

Job title: Professor – Neurosurgery & Cell Developmental Biology

Bio:

Maria Castro, is internationally known for her research in tumor immunology, genetically engineered models of brain cancer, epigenetic remodeling within the tumor microenvironment and immune-mediated therapies for brain cancers. Dr Castro is Professor of Neurosurgery and Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan, Medical School. She leads the Brain Tumor Initiative Program and is the Director of the NIH/NCI funded Training Program in Cancer Biology. Her research aims to develop precision medicine-based immunotherapies for brain cancer, utilizing molecular genomics and immune-biology mechanisms leading to clinical implementation. Dr. Castro’s innovative work has led to an FDA approved immune-mediated gene therapy Phase 1 trial for malignant brain cancer which recently completed accrual at the University of Michigan. 

In 2014 Dr Castro became the R. Schneider Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery, she received numerous awards, including the 2008 the “Women of Action Award”; Israel Cancer Research Fund; the 2016 Javits Research Excellence Award, NINDS/NIH, the 2018 University of Michigan Dean’s Basic Science Research Award, and the 2019 Rogel Cancer Center Scholars Award. She was elected AAAS Fellow in 2019. In 2020, Dr Castro was elected member of the Latin American Academy of Sciences and Senior Forbes Scholar, Forbes Institute for Cancer Discovery. 

Seminars:

Genetically Engineered Mouse models of Brain Cancer: Preclinical Platforms for Testing Immunotherapies 4:10 pm

Description of the tools and methodologies to develop the genetically engineered immune-competent glioma mouse models Phenotypic and molecular characterization of the models and generation of 3D stem cell like neurosphere cultures of the tumor cells  Data related to the tumor immune microenvironment and implementation of immunotherapies, and efficacy and toxicity outcomesRead more

day: Day One