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Surface Oncology Expands Scientific Advisory Board with the Addition of Leading Clinical and Translational Cancer Immunotherapy ExpertsSurface Oncology, an immuno-oncology company developing next-generation immunotherapies that target the tumor microenvironment, today announced the expansion of the company's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) with the addition of two leading experts in translational cancer immunology. David Tuveson, M.D., Ph.D. and Jedd D. Wolchok, M.D., Ph.D. will work with other members of the SAB to help guide the company's research, clinical and translational efforts as it works to advance multiple immuno-oncology product programs through preclinical testing and into the clinic. Their experience complements that of the existing SAB members to help Surface to bring next-generation immunotherapies to people with life-threatening cancer. "We are extremely proud to have enlisted David and Jedd to join our world-class scientific advisory board," said Detlev Biniszkiewicz, Ph.D., President and CEO of Surface Oncology. "As we rapidly advance our next-generation immunotherapies toward the clinic, the guidance from our SAB will continue to be critical to our success." Dr. Tuveson is a renowned cancer biologist and the Director of the Cancer Center and Cancer Therapeutics Initiative at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), where he also serves as the Roy J. Zuckerberg Professor of Cancer Research, the Director of the Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory, and the Lustgarten Foundation's Director of Research. In addition to being a highly regarded translational researcher, Dr. Tuveson is a recognized leader in the study of the role of the tumor microenvironment in pomoting tumor growth. The focus of his research is pancreatic cancer. He earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry at M.I.T. and medical and doctoral degrees at Johns Hopkins University. "Surface Oncology is uniquely positioned to translate emerging knowledge of the tumor microenvironment into novel approaches for activating an immune attack on cancer," said Dr. Tuveson. "I look forward to working with this dedicated and driven team to help shape new approaches that could have broad impact on the treatment of cancer patients everywhere." Dr. Wolchok is a pioneering clinician-scientist recognized for his expertise in cancer immunotherapy. He served as principal investigator on several pivotal clinical trials, including the Phase 3 trial of ipilimumab for the treatment of melanoma. Dr. Wolchok is the Lloyd J. Old/Virginia and Daniel K. Ludwig Chair in Clinical Investigation at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center; he also serves as Chief of MSK's Melanoma & Immunotherapeutics Service, Associate Director of the Ludwig Center for Cancer Immunotherapy at MSK, and the founding Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at MSK, as well as Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. An early proponent of immunotherapy, he established the Immunotherapeutics Clinical Core at MSK, a specialized Phase 1 outpatient unit that conducts novel immunotherapy trials. He earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton, and received both his medical and doctoral degrees from New York University. "A greater understanding of the tumor microenvironment holds the promise of unlocking the full potential of immunotherapy and extending its benefits to far more patients than current approaches," said Dr. Wolchok. "I am excited to work with Surface Oncology in support of this important mission."
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