SUMMARY
Erin W. Meermeier, Ph.D., designs new approaches to activate the immune system to target blood cancer. She has broad training in immunology with specific expertise in T-cell receptor biology, tumor models, antigen presentation and cancer immunotherapy. Dr. Meermeier's preclinical and clinical research partnerships focus on developing and improving immunotherapy against advanced multiple myeloma. To carry out this translational research, she works with a specialized team of technicians and scientists at Mayo Clinic. She uses a variety of technologies including an immunocompetent mouse model of the disease developed by Marta Chesi, Ph.D., and Leif Bergsagel, M.D., in vivo tumor modeling, murine surrogates of immunotherapies, flow cytometry, single-cell techniques and functional genomics. Dr. Meermeier researches the underlying biology of how myeloma can be recognized by the immune system and translates this therapeutically.
Focus areas
- Dr. Meermeier investigates immunotherapies in a clinically predictive mouse model of multiple myeloma with Dr. Chesi, Dr. Bergsagel and experts from pharmaceutical industries.
- She monitors how people respond to anti-myeloma immunotherapy in clinical trials.
- Dr. Meermeier uncovers mechanisms of resistance to T-cell-redirected cancer immunotherapy (T-cell-engaging antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T-cells).
- She studies the immunological contexture of multiple myeloma, including why T-cell immunity fails to control the disease.
- Dr. Meermeier designs new approaches to activate the immune system to target cancer and to restore function of tumor-specific T-cell responses. This includes testing mobilizing unconventional types of T cells for cancer immunotherapy, including mucosal-associated invariant T cells.
Significance to patient care
Nearly all people with multiple myeloma now receive immunotherapeutic agents as a standard of care for early and advanced diseases. This recent revolution in clinical practice stems from an increased understanding of the immune system's fundamental role across the stages of myeloma disease. However, a lack of durable responses in many individuals remains the greatest continuing therapeutic challenge. Treating the immune system to kill cancer holds the potential for long-term scalable benefit and safety. Therefore, it is critical to improve upon and design next-generation immunotherapeutic strategies for the unmet needs of people with multiple myeloma.
Professional highlights
- Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Career Development Award, U.S. Department of Defense, 2023-present.
- Marion Schwartz Career Development Award in Multiple Myeloma, Mayo Clinic, 2022-present.
- Speaker, faculty and session moderator, World Bispecific Conference, 2021.
- Ruth L. Kirschstein T32 Predoctoral, Inflammation and T Lymphocyte Immunoregulation Award, National Institutes of Health, 2014-2016.
- Outstanding Graduate Student, Sears Family Award, Oregon Health and Science University, 2015.
- Young Investigator Travel Award, CD1-MR1 Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 2015.
- Kathryn Tinnesand Memorial Scholarship, Microbiology Department, Oregon State University, 2009.