Prof. Thomas Malek University of Miami, USA

Dr. Thomas Malek is Professor and Chair in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He has a long-standing interest in IL-2R signaling and regulatory T cell development and function. His group first showed the critical reliance of regulatory T cells for IL-2 and later established that low IL-2R signaling effectively supports regulatory but not effector T cells, providing a scientific underpinning for low-dose IL-2 to boost regulatory T cells in the context of autoimmunity. More recently his group developed a novel IL-2-based biologic, IL-2/CD25, which has many favorable properties when compared to IL-2 for use in autoimmunity and cancer. Current research investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind the therapeutic benefit of IL-2/CD25 to facilitate clinical translation.