Elizabeth Jaffee

Research Overview

Dr. Jaffee’s laboratory focuses on mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to immune based therapies in mouse models and human models of pancreatic cancer. Areas of specific interest include understanding the inflammatory responses that are associated with cancer development and progression in pre-clinical and clinical models, and development of interventions to bypass specific inflammatory signals. 

Current projects aim to understand the pancreatic cancer tumor micro-environment and the inflammation that helps shape the tumor micro-environment early, beginning with the pre-malignant changes that are linked to the driver gene changes known to initiate pancreatic cancers (mutated Kras and p53). Her group also developed a number of translational research platforms to test new immunotherapies in patients which provides unique biospecimens to study in early and late-stage pancreatic cancers. Dr. Jaffee’s group demonstrated for the first time that it is possible to convert pancreatic cancer from a non-immunogenic and suppressive immune environment, into an immune permissive environment. Dr. Jaffee’s group incorporates a wide range of expertise to uncover the complex signaling networks within pancreatic cancers that prevent adequate immune recognition. Her work is driving the discovery of pancreatic cancer immunobiology, and these findings are quickly being translated into immunotherapies that are showing promise for this previously immune resistant cancer. Further, she is using state of the art technologies to dissect the tumor microenvironment in mice and pancreatic cancer patients.

Additional Titles

Deputy Director, the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins

Co-Director, Gastrointestinal Cancers Program