Who we areThe Agudo lab is located in the Cancer Immunology and Virology Department at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. We are part of an international, dynamic and vibrant community in which molecular, cellular, basic and translational scientists collaborate in order to find the cure for Cancer, Autoimmunity and Infectious diseases.
We are also part of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology (MBIB) at Harvard Medical School that includes labs immunology labs in all Harvard-affiliated hospitals and brings together cutting edge science in immunology and microbiology. The Agudo lab is interested in the immunogenicity of stem cells and, therefore, is a member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI). This institute englobes laboratories pursuing groundbreaking research in regenerative medicine, stem cell biology and development. |
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Judith Agudo, PhD
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor
Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Harvard Medical School
Harvard Stem Cell Institute
Judith Agudo obtained her PhD in Barcelona (the most fun city in the world!) developing gene therapy approaches for pancreas regeneration during diabetes and identifying key factors involved in beta-cell failure during disease progression. After obtaining a Fulbright scholarship, she moved to New York City (the second most fun city in the world!) to perform her postdoctoral studies. She investigated molecular regulators of innate immunity and dendritic cell homeostasis and developed a novel technology called The Jedi to investigate T cell function and responses against virtually any cell, including stem cells. She moved to DFCI in Boston (also a fun place!) in October 2017 and here she will exploit the Jedi and other technologies we are developing in order to elucidate how cancer cells evade T cell recognition.
Principal Investigator
Assistant Professor
Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Harvard Medical School
Harvard Stem Cell Institute
Judith Agudo obtained her PhD in Barcelona (the most fun city in the world!) developing gene therapy approaches for pancreas regeneration during diabetes and identifying key factors involved in beta-cell failure during disease progression. After obtaining a Fulbright scholarship, she moved to New York City (the second most fun city in the world!) to perform her postdoctoral studies. She investigated molecular regulators of innate immunity and dendritic cell homeostasis and developed a novel technology called The Jedi to investigate T cell function and responses against virtually any cell, including stem cells. She moved to DFCI in Boston (also a fun place!) in October 2017 and here she will exploit the Jedi and other technologies we are developing in order to elucidate how cancer cells evade T cell recognition.
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Alice Bertocchi
Graduate Student I was born in Italy and got my Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science from King’s College London in 2020. Currently I am a PhD student in immunology at Harvard and interested in studying metastasis in pancreatic cancer. I am co-mentored by Dr. Stephanie Dougan. In my free time, I like travelling, going to art museums and drinking coffee! |
Monica Cassandras
Graduate Student I got my Bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley in 2017, and then worked as a research associate at UCSF studying stem cell niches. As a current PhD student in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences program at Harvard, I’m studying the metastatic tumor micro-environment in the lung. I like to run, watch sports, and travel! |
Debolina Ganguly, PhD
Research Fellow Hi, I am Deb. I grew up in Calcutta (the ‘city of joy’), India. I did my PhD in Cancer Biology from UT Southwestern Medical Center, where I studied the lung metastatic niche. In my postdoc, I am investigating the systemic immune responses to cancer & also mechanisms of immune evasion during tumor initiation. In my free time, I love to explore new restaurants, travel and paint! |
Adam Getzler, PhD
Research Fellow Hi! I am Adam Getzler, a postdoctoral fellow originally from Long Island (with an accent to prove it). I obtained my bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago in 2015 and then performed my graduate work at Scripps Research where I studied the role of chromatin regulatory factors in the development of CD8 T cell responses to acute and chronic antigen stimulation. In Dr. Agudo’s lab, I study how metastatic triple negative breast cancer evades the immune response and I am developing novel mouse models to study cell-cell interactions. In my free time I enjoy video games, reading, and eating everything edible in Boston. |
Lauren Hsu
Graduate Student I'm currently a PhD student in Biostatistics & Bioinformatics at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), and am co-advised by Prof. John Quackenbush. I completed an MS in Comp Bio at HSPH in 2020 and a BS in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University in 2013. In my free time, I like to blow glass, snowboard, and sing in chamber choirs. |
Joseph Kern, PhD
Research Fellow I got my Bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and my PhD in Biochemistry from Boston University, where I worked on understanding epithelial and stromal phenotypes in basal-like breast cancer development. Now as a research fellow in the Agudo lab I am interested in tumor-immune crosstalk during colorectal cancer development. When not in the lab I enjoy playing music, volleyball, reading, and any activities that are nature-related. |
Marilia Leme
Research Technician Hi, I'm Marília and I was born in São Paulo, Brazil. I received my Bachelor's degree from UMass Amherst in 2022 with a double major in Biology and Spanish. I love to travel and explore new places. In my free time I enjoy rock climbing with friends and doing artsy projects, like painting or drawing. |
Kelly McGovern
Graduate Student I graduated from Umass Amherst in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Biology, and developed an interest in Immunology as a technician in the Alt lab working on B cells. I am a current PhD student in Immunology at Harvard, and I’m interested in immune cell interactions with stem cells in colorectal cancer. In my free time, I like to read, play the drums, and swim! |
Xavier Sanchez, PhD
Research Fellow Hi, my name’s Xavi and I am from Solsona. I finished my PhD in 2020, in which I studied gene therapy and neurodegenerative disorders. Now, for my postdoc, I want to expand my knowledge in cell therapies and immunology. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, climbing, and photography. |
Lab Alumni
Research Technicians Isam Adam Yu Huang Zara Khan |
Lab Alumni
MD/PhD Candidate, University of California Irvine Senior Scientist, Crossbow Therapeutics, Inc MD Student, Tufts University |