Immunotherapy Landscape in Melanoma

Dr. Tawbi is Professor of Melanoma Medical Oncology, Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, Deputy Chair and Director of Clinical Research and Early Drug Development at the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is also a co-founder and Co-Director of the MD Anderson Brain Metastasis Clinic. Dr. Tawbi obtained his MD in 2001 from the American University of Beirut, and completed his training in Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, and obtained his PhD in Clinical and Translational Research at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Tawbi has designed, and conducted many Phase I and II clinical trials in melanoma and sarcoma. Specifically, he participated in the early studies of targeted agents and immunotherapy agents for metastatic melanoma. In addition to pioneering the use of checkpoint inhibitors in sarcoma, he has been interested in the study of special populations including patients with autoimmune disorders (PI of AIM-Nivo/NCI#10204), and critically in patients with brain metastases. Dr. Tawbi has led the practice changing clinical trial of combination checkpoint inhibitors in patients with melanoma brain metastases (CheckMate-204). His translational research efforts have helped discover the role of B cells in the response to checkpoint inihibitor therapy in collaboration with Jen Wargo and Catherine and Wolff Fridman. Dr. Tawbi is nationally and interationally recognized as a leader in melanoma and immunotherapy drug development. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of the SWOG Melanoma Committee, Co-Chair of the STIC Immunotherapy Resistance Committee, and an active member of SITC, the Society for Melanoma Research, AACR, ESMO, and ASCO.