Katelyn Byrne, Ph.D.

  • Assistant Professor of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, School of Medicine
  • Member, Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, School of Medicine
  • Member, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, School of Medicine

Biography

The Byrne Lab aims to understand the underlying immunobiology regulating therapeutic sensitivity in pancreatic cancer. Our research focuses on interrogating mechanisms of bridging innate and adaptive immunity that drive tumor rejection in preclinical models of cancer, and revealing correlates of response for patients receiving immunotherapy.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.A., 2007, Boston University
    • Ph.D., 2013, Dartmouth College

  • Fellowship

    • American Cancer Society Post-doctoral Fellowship
    • Senior Parker Fellow, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy

Memberships and associations:

  • American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
  • American Association of Immunologists (AAI)

Areas of interest

  • pancreatic cancer
  • immunotherapy
  • tumor microenvironment

Publications

Selected publications

  • Kim SI*, Haerr ME*, Al-Ghezi M, Arora C, Gribbin KP, Chen C, Xia Z, Vonderheide RH, Byrne KT. CD4 T cells mediate rejection of MHC I-deficient tumor cells. Cancer Immunology Research. 14 (1): 107-121. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-24-1342
  • Blise KE, Sivaganam S, Betts CB, Betre K, Kirchberger N, Tate B, Furth EE, Dias Costa A, Nowa JA, Wolpin BM, Vonderheide RH, Goecks J†, Coussens LM†, Byrne KT†. Machine learning links T cell function and spatial localization to neoadjuvant immunotherapy and clinical outcome in pancreatic cancer. Cancer Immunology Research. 12(5):544-558, 2024. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-23-0873.
  • Byrne KT*, Betts CB*, Mick R*, et al. Neoadjuvant Selicrelumab, an Agonist CD40 Antibody, Induces Changes in the Tumor Microenvironment in Patients with Resectable Pancreatic Cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2021;27(16):4574-4586. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-1047
  • Kim SI, Cassella CR, Byrne KT. Tumor Burden and Immunotherapy: Impact on Immune Infiltration and Therapeutic Outcomes. Front Immunol. 2021;11:629722. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.629722
  • Huffman AP, Lin JH, Kim SI, Byrne KT, Vonderheide RH. CCL5 mediates CD40-driven CD4+ T-cell tumor infiltration and immunity. JCI Insight. Published online 2020. doi:10.1172/jci.insight.137263
  • Morrison AH, Diamond MS, Hay CA, Byrne KT*, Vonderheide RH*. Sufficiency of CD40 activation and immune checkpoint blockade for T cell priming and tumor immunity. Proc National Acad Sci. Published online 2020:201918971. doi:10.1073/pnas.1918971117
  • Hay CA, Sor R, Flowers AJ, Clendenin C, Byrne KT. Ultrasound-Guided Orthotopic Implantation of Murine Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. J Vis Exp. 2019;(153). doi:10.3791/60497
  • Li J*, Byrne KT*, Yan F, et al. Tumor Cell-Intrinsic Factors Underlie Heterogeneity of Immune Cell Infiltration and Response to Immunotherapy. Immunity. 2018;49(1):178-193.e7. doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2018.06.006
  • Byrne KT and Vonderheide RH. CD40 stimulation obviates innate sensors and drives T cell immunity in cancer. Cell Reports,15(12):2719-32, 2016.
  • Winograd R, Byrne KT, Evans RA, Odorizzi PM, Meyer AR, Bajor DL, Clendenin C, Stanger BZ, Furth EE, Wherry EJ, Vonderheide RH. Induction of T-cell immunity overcomes complete resistance to PD-1 and CTLA-4 blockade and improves survival in pancreatic carcinoma. Cancer Immunology Research, 3(4):399-411, 2015.