Cleveland Clinic Appoints J. Joseph Melenhorst, PhD as Director of Cell Therapy and Immuno-Engineering Program, and Vice Chair of Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology

J. Joseph Melenhorst, Ph.D., has been appointed director of the new Cell Therapy and Immuno-Engineering Program, and Vice Chair of the Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology at Cleveland Clinic.

A renowned cancer immunology expert, Dr. Melenhorst will lead the cell therapy developmental therapeutics program, with a focus on translating research into novel cellular therapies for patients. As vice chair of the Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, he will work with experts from across Cleveland Clinic to advance research and treatment related to the rapidly growing field of immuno-oncology.

“Immunotherapy is the future of research in cancer and various other diseases, and Cleveland Clinic has made it a priority to establish a leading cell therapy program,” said Timothy Chan, M.D., Ph.D., chair of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology. “The program will empower clinicians and scientists to advance personalized cellular immunotherapy and further distinguish the Cleveland area as a top hub for cellular therapy development."

Dr. Melenhorst joins Cleveland Clinic from University of Pennsylvania where he was a senior member of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies for almost a decade. There, he was instrumental in helping bring cell therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy into patient care. CAR-T therapy has revolutionized cancer care. His research spans basic and translational immunology with an emphasis on developing next generation immune-oncology treatments and related translational sciences. His efforts also focus on the immunobiology of CAR-T cell therapies to more safely and effectively target cancers.

Dr. Melenhorst received his Ph.D. from the University of Leiden, Netherlands.