Grayson E. Rodriguez, PhD

Grayson Rodriguez, PhD, is a protein engineer and immunologist focused on leveraging cytokine signaling to advance cancer immunotherapy. Her work aims to reprogram immune responses by engineering cytokines to modulate STAT signaling on unmodified immune cells, offering a novel, cell-free approach to immunotherapy. By eliminating the need for direct T cell engineering, Dr. Rodriguez’s research could simplify treatment delivery while improving efficacy and patient accessibility.

Dr. Rodriguez earned her PhD in Immunology from Stanford University, where she trained under Professor K. Christopher Garcia with support from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the Stanford Graduate Fellowship in Science & Engineering. Her graduate research applied protein engineering to study and manipulate cytokine-driven immune responses, with direct implications for immuno-oncology. Prior to Stanford, she earned her BS in Chemistry and Biology from MIT, where she conducted research in the labs of Professors Elizabeth Nolan and K. Dane Wittrup, fostering her early interest in protein-based therapeutics.

Now a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford Medicine, Dr. Rodriguez continues to explore innovative ways to enhance immune function in cancer treatment. As a PICI RISE Scholar, she is honored to be part of a diverse and dynamic scientific community committed to transforming cancer care. She looks forward to collaborating with PICI’s network of researchers, refining her approaches, and translating cutting-edge discoveries into impactful therapies for patients.