Sydney X. Lu, MD PhD
Sydney is a hematologist and medical oncologist and leads a research group at Stanford Medical School, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine.
Sydney most recently conducted postdoctoral studies at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) with Dr. Omar Abdel-Wahab, studying novel therapeutics which modulate RNA processing to treat challenging cancers, with the goal of improving cancer immunotherapy. Syd’s research career started with graduate studies in the laboratory of Dr. Marcel van den Brink at MSKCC studying the biology of donor T cells that mediate graft-versus-host-disease and the graft-versus-tumor effect after allogeneic bone marrow transplant and the role of the thymus in regenerating healthy and protective donor-derived T cells post-transplant. The direct relevance of these cellular therapies and their immediate translational applicability to patients inspired him to attend Stanford Medical School, followed by internal medicine residency and Hematology/Medical Oncology fellowship training at MSKCC. As a junior faculty member, Syd has been studying the biology and pathology of RNA processing in cancer and immunity, with the goal of developing novel therapies that target RNA to treat cancer and immune dysfunction. This work has led to observations that targeted degradation of the RNA binding protein RBM39 may be a feasible therapeutic for the treatment of myeloid cancers bearing RNA splicing factor mutations, and more recent studies showing that therapeutic targeting of RNA splicing in animal models of solid tumors can improve the effects of immune checkpoint blockade.
Sydney is supported by a Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Bridge Scholar Award, and an NIH K08 Clinical Investigator Award.
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Post-graduate training:
July 1st, 2015-June 30th, 2019. Fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology. Advisor: Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD. Human Oncology & Pathogenesis Program. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY)
June 21st, 2013-June 25th, 2015. Residency in Internal Medicine. New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Campus (New York, NY)
M.D.:
August 18th, 2009-June 15th, 2013. School of Medicine. Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
Ph.D.:
July 2003 – May 24th, 2009. Thesis: “Non-antigen specific strategies for the attenuation of experimental graft-versus-host-disease by modulation of alloreactive donor T cells via organ-specific disparities in lymphocyte function”. Defense date: April 29th, 2009. Advisor: Marcel R.M. van den Brink, MD Ph.D. Laboratory of Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation. Departments of Medicine and Immunology. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY)
Tri-Institutional Training Program in Chemical Biology. Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Cornell University (New York, NY)
B.A.:
September 1st, 1999-June 1st, 2003. Degree conferral: June 8th, 2003. Major: Chemistry. Major: Biology. Honors Thesis: “Crystal structure of a Drosophila ncd kinesin mutant”. Advisor: F. Jon Kull, PhD. Department of Chemistry. Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)
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07/25/2019-2/28/2022 (anticipated). Assistant Attending Physician L1, Myeloma Service. Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY)
09/15/2019-2/28/2022 (anticipated). Instructor in Medicine. Weill Cornell Medical College. Cornell University (New York, NY)
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2003 Dartmouth College Zabriski Award
2003 Dartmouth College Merck Index Award
2006 ASBMT Travel Scholarship
2009 ASBMT Travel Scholarship
2009 ASH Abstract Achievement Award
2011-2012 Stanford University MacKenzie Foundation Scholarship
2017 NIH Loan Repayment Program
2017-2019 Mortimer J. Lacher Fellowship, The Lymphoma Foundation
2018 ASH Abstract Achievement Award
2019 Portlock Challenge – Robert Hirschhorn Endowment Award
2019 Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Physician-Scientist Fellowship (declined due to conflicting award)
2019 ASH Research Training Award for Fellows (declined due to conflicting award)
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2021 Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine
Seminar, Division of Hematology
“Targeting RNA Binding Proteins in Cancer”
2021 Yale Cancer Center
Seminar, Center of Molecular and Cellular Oncology
“Targeting RNA Binding Proteins in Cancer”
2021 Cleveland Clinic
Seminar, Center for Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno-Oncology
“Targeting RNA Binding Proteins in Cancer”
2021 MD Anderson Cancer Center
Seminar, Department of Hematopoietic Biology and Malignancy
“Targeting RNA Binding Proteins in Cancer”
2021 University of Washington
Hematology Grand Rounds
“Targeting RNA Binding Proteins in Cancer”
2021 City of Hope
Seminar, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
“Targeting RNA Binding Proteins in Cancer”
2021 Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami
Special Seminar
“Pharmacologic modulation of RNA splicing enhances anti-tumor immunity”
2021 Stanford Medicine
Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology Seminar
“Targeting RNA Binding Proteins in Cancer”
2021 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
4th Annual Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Symposium
“Targeting RNA Binding Proteins in Cancer”
2021 Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Seminar, Department of Medicine, Division of Hemato-Oncology
“Pharmacologic modulation of RNA splicing enhances anti-tumor immunity”
2019 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Grand Rounds, Department of Medicine
“Enhancing the Antitumor Immune Response through modulation of RNA splicing”
2018 American Society of Hematology
Annual Meeting
“Therapeutic Targeting of an RNA Splicing Factor Network for the Treatment of Myeloid Neoplasms”
Selected for Best of ASH
2009 American Association of Immunologists
Annual Meeting
• “The T Cell Cytolytic Molecules FasL and TRAIL are Required for Thymic GVHD”
• “A high-color antibody panel for the flow cytometric analysis of thymic stromal cell populations” (BD Biosciences, didactic session)
2009 American Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation
Annual Meeting
“Ceacam1 Regulates Experimental Graft-versus-Host-Disease”
2009 Stanford IDP Immunology Scientific Conference
Annual Meeting
“TRAIL/DR5 Interactions Are Important for Thymic Damage After Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation”
2007 American Society of Hematology
Annual Meeting
“Ceacam1 Is a Negative Regulator of Graft-versus-Host-Disease”
2007 Annual CEA Symposium
Annual Meeting
“Ceacam1 Affects Multiple Aspects of Graft-versus-Host-Disease After Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation”
2006 BD Biosciences Technology Days Seminar
Annual Meeting
“High-Throughput Analysis of Signaling Profiles in T cell Development and Activation”
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Editorial board, Myeloma Today (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society)
Reviewer, Haematologica
Reviewer, Future Oncology
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2003- Sigma XI Honor Society
2009- American Association of Immunologists
2009- American Society of Hematology (FASEB)
2009- American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy
2009- American Association for the Advancement of Science
1/2014- American Society for Clinical Oncology
1/2017- American Association for Cancer Research
2018- Society of Hematologic Oncology
2020- American College of Physicians
2021- Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer