Venkateswara Addala

My research addressed the challenges related to key genomic components in tumour-immune editing variation in cancers with poor survival and predicting the responses to cancer immunotherapies. Characterizing genomic determinants in underlying response and resistance to cancer immunotherapy. Through whole genome and RNA sequencing, we identify tumor specific neoantigens that can elicit T-cell responses in cancers. Through established Immunogenomics analysis on different cancer types, we aim to explore the genomics of tumor cells and the properties of immune cells in the tumour microenvironment. Through further research, we uncover how tumours may prevent immune attack and why. We seek to better understand the tumour microenvironment and how it may contribute towards tumour growth. Lastly, we can uncover new techniques in patients screening to see who would benefit most from immunotherapies during the treatment of their disease.

In my PhD I established cancer immunogenomics analysis pipeline, to understand tumour heterogeneity in intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms across cancer types. This work extends knowledge and lays the foundation that is required in order to successfully establish computational methods that can be used to predict patient immunotherapy responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors.