6/8/2022
PITTSBURGH – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center immunologist Tullia C. Bruno, Ph.D., has been presented with the Sy Holzer Endowed Immunotherapy Research Fund Award to advance innovative research in cancer.
Bruno, an assistant professor in the Department of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, focuses on developing cancer therapeutics that harness the power of the immune
system. More specifically, her research team focuses on B cells and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) within the tumor microenvironment to improve the number of patients who respond favorably to immunotherapy.
The Holzer Fund, now in its fourth year, was established to honor Sy Holzer’s philanthropic work as the long-time president of PNC and his many years of service as chair of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Council. The fund has been supported through leadership gifts made by many local and national individual funds, foundations and corporations. This award, once again, is being matched by the Stanley M. Marks Endowed Research Fund at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
Bruno received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Vanderbilt University and then earned her Ph.D. in immunology from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her research lab at UPMC Hillman focuses on studying immunity within TLS of cancer patients with an overall objective of developing new immunotherapy treatments.
Bruno has authored numerous publications and serves on national committees focused on immune-centric cancer treatments. In addition to her research, she is an active mentor and advocate for women in science and is committed to exceptional training of students and fellows. She is chair of the UPMC Women’s Taskforce and mentor for the Microbiology and Immunology Diversity (MID) Scholars Program through the Department of Immunology. Bruno is also a member of several organizations, including the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer, and serves as the co-director of the Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy site for the UPMC Hillman Academy, an immersive program for high school students.
PHOTO DETAILS: (click images for high-res versions)
Credit: UPMC
Caption: Tullia Bruno, PhD
