Biography
Dr. Yee is an oncologist, immunologistand endowed professor in Division of Cancer Medicine, Dept of Immunology, and Director of Solid Tumor Cell Therapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center, elected to A SCI in 2009. Over the last 25 years, Dr. Yees discoveries in cell therapy provided first proof-of-concept of the importance of T cell persistence, antigen-spreading and combination strategies by pioneering the use of antigen-specific T cells in a modality known as Endogenous T Cell therapy. He holds more than 18 inventions in the field of cellular therapy and is founder of an AI startup and TCR-T cell therapy company (Mongoose Bio). Assets developed in Yee Lab are focused on solid tumors for common and rare cancers in the global population, leveraging one of the largest immunopeptidomes established from MS-defined datasets in his lab. His latest project is a NASA-funded initiative to take T cells to the International Space Station

Rare cancers offer a unique clinical window into TCR discovery, acting as a gateway to broader applications. By leveraging the distinct antigenic landscapes of niche malignancies, we can identify and validate TCR targets that scale, ultimately providing a blueprint for effective immunotherapy across more prevalent, high-burden solid tumor