Shari Pilon-Thomas, PhD, is a Senior Member of the Immunology Department at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. She is currently the Co-Director of the Center for Immunization and Infection Research in Cancer.

She received her PhD in Immunology/Microbiology from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, and completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Surgery, Tumor Immunology, Immunotherapy from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Her research focuses on the advancement of immunotherapy, specifically vaccine-based approaches and adoptive T-cell therapy for a wide variety of solid tumors.   
 
Dr. Pilon-Thomas’ research program is one of the leading efforts in bridging the space between basic science and clinical immunotherapy trials for patients with solid tumors. She has spearheaded the optimization of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) expansion protocols and translation of TIL therapy at Moffitt Cancer Center. She develops immunotherapeutic treatment strategies in murine models and collaborates with clinicians to develop clinical trial protocols based on her laboratory research. Her collaborations have resulted in TIL-based trials for patients with melanoma, sarcoma, bladder cancer, H&N squamous cell carcinoma, and cervical cancer. Her lab leads the immune monitoring effort on these trials for the measurement of suppressive factors and tumor-specific immune responses, results of which inform subsequent trial design.