Sara Piccinelli

Sara is a dedicated physician-scientist specializing in cancer immunology and cellular therapy. Her work focuses on translating immunological discoveries into innovative, targeted treatments for high-risk hematologic malignancies, with a particular emphasis on relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

With a strong clinical background and a deep commitment to translational research, Sara integrates cutting-edge approaches in cancer biology and immunotherapy to develop next-generation, cell-based therapies. Her research spans CAR T and CAR NK cell therapies, regulatory T cell (Treg) immunotherapy, and advancements in bone marrow transplantation techniques.

Sara earned her medical degree and completed her hematology training at the University of Perugia, Italy, where she became deeply involved in clinical trials exploring haploidentical transplantation and adoptive immunotherapy for patients with high-risk acute leukemia. She went on to pursue a PhD at the same institution in Clinical and Molecular Medicine, focusing on the biotechnology of bone marrow transplantation—specifically the role of Tregs in B cell reconstitution following haploidentical transplantation.

In 2019, she joined Dr. Scadden lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, where she studied Treg and NK cell development. Since 2022, she has been a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Romee lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Her current research centers on the development of novel immunotherapies for AML, including CAR T and CAR NK cells, with the goal of improving patient outcomes through translational science and clinical trials.