Spring 2025 Grantee Highlight:
Roberta Zappasodi

Roberta Zappasodi, PhD
Assistant Professor of Hematology in Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine

Immunotherapy, which helps the immune system fight cancer, has shown remarkable success—but only in a subset of patients. One major challenge is that cancer-killing T cells often struggle to enter tumors and remain active once inside.

The Zappasodi Lab studies why this happens. Their research shows that tumors’ high sugar consumption creates a hostile environment by altering blood vessel formation and depleting nutrients T cells need to survive and function. Using tumor models with different metabolic profiles, the team found that the way tumors produce energy significantly impacts blood vessel development and T-cell movement in and out of tumors.

This project investigates the connections between tumor metabolism, vascular remodeling, and T-cell trafficking. By uncovering how these processes interact, the lab aims to identify potential strategies to enhance T-cell infiltration and activity—findings that could ultimately inform future approaches to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy across more cancer types.