Eli Gilboa

Atheist, Concerned citizen, Inventor, Jewish, Parent, Scientist, Single

Born in Romania, grew up in Israel, I have received my Ph.D. in Biology from the Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, Israel. I am a biomedical researcher, currently the Joe Enloe Dodson professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, and Director of the Dodson Interdisciplinary Immunotherapy Institute at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, USA; known for pioneering work in gene therapy for genetic disorders, HIV/AIDS, and cancer. The field of cancer therapy is experiencing a paradigm shift fueled by the recognition that the immune modality is capable of controlling tumor growth. While exhibiting unprecedented therapeutic responses, current immune therapies such as checkpoint blockade or T cell therapy benefit only a small proportion of patients and the clinical responses are often not durable. Our mission is to develop a next generation of increasingly effective and broadly applicable therapies that will benefit all cancer patients. To that end we are developing a multi-pronged approach using novel drug and drug delivery platforms of antibody and oligonucleotide aptamer-targeted RNA therapeutics, introducing new concepts in cancer immunotherapy such as enhancing the antigenicity of disseminated tumor lesions, promoting immune memory, targeting immune modulation to the tumor lesion, and coating tumor cells with endogenous antibodies to enhance tumor antigen uptake by dendritic cells. I have recently founded Sebastian Biopharma, a biotech company to further the development of some of the more promising immune therapeutic approaches.

Opera (of the bel canto type); Avid reader (mostly classical literature); Jogging; Developing high-impact and broadly applicable immune-based treatments for cancer

Driven by concerns about the steady decline of innovation, and consequently impact, in biomedical research I am trying to understand why, and how to reverse the trend.

Cancer immunotherapy, Gene therapy, RNA therapeutics

New York is a tough city, was even more so 30 years ago when I lived there. So here I am returning to NY flying into La Guardia at the then North Terminal, isolated from the main terminals by a good few miles. Late in the evening everything closed no one around. Need to call a taxi but OOPS!!, no cash (remember, 30 years ago). Went to a cash machine which promptly swallowed my credit card. What to do, how come I am still here to tell the story?. Saw a cleaning lady, she did not speak English but pointed me to an office. Manager was there just closing up, in his 50s of Italian descent. Explained to him the problem. Without missing a beat, his hand reached to his pocket and out comes a $20 bill ( a lot of money then, more than enough for the taxi ride to Ardsley). Needless to say how I felt. But here is what is troubling me (and I think I know the answer but don't want to admit it). Would I have done the same?