Saba Ghassemi, PhD profile page

Dr. Saba Ghassemi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and serves as a Principal Investigator at the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on developing novel CAR T cells with enhanced potency through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates engineering with CAR T cell immunology. Dr. Ghassemi pioneered the development of an abbreviated culture paradigm, resulting in less differentiated progeny with improved potency. This breakthrough led to a successful clinical trial at UPenn utilizing a 3-day manufacturing process. Additionally, she has devised a novel method for delivering CAR transgenes into quiescent T cells, enabling the generation of highly potent CAR T cells within 24 hours. Dr. Ghassemi is currently spearheading efforts to transition this innovative platform into an upcoming clinical trial at Penn. Her groundbreaking work has garnered recognition through several research grants and patent applications aimed at enhancing CAR T cells' efficacy, expansion, and fitness for adoptive immunotherapy. Dr. Ghassemi's ongoing research endeavors focus on optimizing, streamlining, and automating the manufacturing process of CAR T cells, with the overarching goal of enhancing the translational applicability and accessibility of these novel therapies to a broader range of geographical locations and patient populations.