Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, is a gynecologic oncologist who specializes in the treatment of ovarian cancer.
As a nationally recognized expert in immunotherapy and vaccine therapy for cancer, Dr. Odunsi’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of immune recognition and tolerance in ovarian cancer and translating these findings to immunotherapy clinical trials.
He pioneered the development of antigen-specific vaccine therapy and “next generation” adoptive T-cell immunotherapies to prolong remission rates in women with ovarian cancer. Learn more about Dr. Odunsi's research.
Dr. Odunsi has received many honors and awards for his work, including election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2018 and the Rosalind Franklin Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research Award in 2019. He has authored or co-authored more than 360 publications and contributed to several books and book chapters. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Cancer Research Institute and the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation Alliance, among others. He serves or has served on 10 editorial boards and multiple NIH study sections, and held numerous visiting professorships and guest lectureships. He also holds leadership positions in several national organizations, such as co-chair of the NCI Cancer Moonshot Immuno-Oncology Translational Network and chairperson-elect of the American Association for Cancer Research’s Cancer Immunology Working Group.
As a nationally recognized expert in immunotherapy and vaccine therapy for cancer, Dr. Odunsi’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of immune recognition and tolerance in ovarian cancer and translating these findings to immunotherapy clinical trials.
He pioneered the development of antigen-specific vaccine therapy and “next generation” adoptive T-cell immunotherapies to prolong remission rates in women with ovarian cancer. Learn more about Dr. Odunsi's research.
Dr. Odunsi has received many honors and awards for his work, including election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2018 and the Rosalind Franklin Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research Award in 2019. He has authored or co-authored more than 360 publications and contributed to several books and book chapters. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Cancer Research Institute and the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation Alliance, among others. He serves or has served on 10 editorial boards and multiple NIH study sections, and held numerous visiting professorships and guest lectureships. He also holds leadership positions in several national organizations, such as co-chair of the NCI Cancer Moonshot Immuno-Oncology Translational Network and chairperson-elect of the American Association for Cancer Research’s Cancer Immunology Working Group.
Areas of Expertise
- Ovarian Cancer
- Immunotherapy
- Gynecologic Cancers
Board Certifications
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Gynecologic Oncology
Memberships & Medical Societies
- American Association for Cancer Research
- American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society
- Association of African Biomedical Scientists
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- Gynecologic Oncology Group
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
- American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- European Network for Translational Research in Ovarian Cancer
- Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium
- Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network
- Society of Gynecologic Oncology
- Cancer Immunotherapy Consortium
- Society for Reproductive Investigation
Languages Spoken
- English
Medical Education
- Obafemi Awolowo University
Residency
- Yale New Haven Hospital
Fellowship
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Other Grad Education
- University of Oxford,PhD
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