Past Events
Emerging Concepts in Cancer Immunotherapy
Thursday, May 7, 2026
In collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, CICET hosted Emerging Concepts in Cancer Immunotherapy, convening investigators from Columbia, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mount Sinai, Weill Cornell, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to explore emerging advances in T-cell engineering.
The symposium explored advances in CAR T-cell therapy, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), synthetic receptor design, target discovery, and immunometabolism. Presentations focused on overcoming tumor resistance and extending the promise of cellular therapies to solid tumors. The program concluded with a keynote lecture by Hongbo Chi, PhD, on metabolic reprogramming and the engineering of cancer immunity.
The Promise of T Cell Engineering
Friday, November 7, 2025
(Left to right): Drs. Katrina A. Armstrong, P. Roy Vagelos, and Michel Sadelain
The Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET) hosted a symposium featuring recent advances in T cell genome editing and a sampling of upcoming cell therapy clinical studies at VP&S in oncology, rheumatology, and neurology. The event was hosted by Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, Director of CICET, and featured a keynote by Justin Eyquem, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
The symposium was open to all Columbia faculty, staff, and trainees.
(Left to right): Ran Reshef, Claire S. Riley, Anca D. Askanase, Aimee S. Payne, Maksim Mamonkin, Justin Eyquem (UCSF), Katrina A. Armstrong, Isabelle Rivière (Takeda), Benjamin Izar, Michel W. Sadelain, Markus Y. Mapara, Liora M. Schultz, Sascha P. Haubner, and Vladimir P. Bermudez
Frontiers in Cell Engineering Workshop
Friday, Oct 10, 2025
Columbia Engineering and the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapeutics (CICET) invite you to join us for Frontiers in Cell Engineering, a half-day workshop bringing together leading voices in engineering, biology, and medicine to explore new frontiers in cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Together, we will discuss how engineering and medicine can combine strengths to accelerate innovation. The program features four sessions:
Panel 1: AI and Tools
- Panel Host: Elham Azizi, Herbert and Florence Irving Associate Professor of Cancer Data Research and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- José McFaline-Figeuroa, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- David Knowles, Associate Professor of Computer Science
- Itsik Pe’er, Professor of Computer Science and Systems Biology
Panel 2: Biomaterials and Cell Manufacturing
- Panel Host: Kam Leong, Samuel Y. Sheng Professor of Biomedical Engineering (in Systems Biology)
- Santiago Correa, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- Ke Cheng, Alan L. Kaganov Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- Helen Lu, Percy K. and Vida L.W. Hudson Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Senior Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs and Advancement
- Nadeen Chahine, Associate Professor of Biomechanics (in Orthopaedic Surgery)
- Lance Kam, Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Professor of Medical Sciences (in Medicine)
Panel 3: Immune Engineering
- Panel Host: Michel Sadelain, Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Medicine
- Tal Danino, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- Sascha Haubner, Assistant Professor of Medicine, VCP&S
- Parisa Yousefpour, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- Maxim Mamonkin, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET)
Panel 4: Organs-on-Chip
- Panel Host: Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, University and Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Sciences; Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering
- Sjoukje van der Stegen, Platform Leader at CZ Biohub NY (iPSC derived Immune Cell Development)
- Hasan Erbil Abaci, Assistant Professor of Dermatology
- Peter A. Sims, Associate Professor of Systems Biology (in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and in Systems Biology)
- Andrea Califano, Clyde and Helen Wu Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology
This workshop marked the launch of a broader initiative strongly supported by Columbia Engineering and CICET. The program concluded with lunch and networking to foster new collaborations across disciplines.
New Advances in Cancer Cell Therapy
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
New Advances in Cancer Cell Therapy is a half-day symposium that will cover a range of topics, including CAR T-cell therapies, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, targeting solid tumors, and novel strategies for diseases like amyloidosis and acute myeloid leukemia.
The symposium was hosted by the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy, with hosts Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, and Anil Rustgi, MD, and organized by Sascha Haubner, MD, and Ran Reshef, MD. Affiliate partners included the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub New York, Vagelos Institute for Biomedical Research, Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
The event featured:
- A keynote address by Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD, a pioneer in cell therapy engineering
- Two sessions on emerging cell therapies across cancer types
- A panel discussion on expanding cell therapy initiatives at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC)
- A networking social hour