We are thrilled to announce the appointment of
@MichaelPlebanek, PhD, as Assistant Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Physiology at
@MSUMD.
Dr. Plebanek is a tumor immunologist studying how metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming of dendritic cells (DCs) drives immune tolerance and cancer progression. Building on his postdoctoral research, which identified a lactate–SREBP2 axis that induces tolerogenic DCs and suppresses anti-tumor immunity (Science Immunology, 2024), and supported by K22, his research program will define how tumor-driven metabolic stress alters DC chromatin landscapes, reprograms DC progenitors, and reshapes DC–T cell interactions. Ultimately, his goal is to translate these mechanistic insights into personalized immunotherapies that restore DC function and improve immunotherapy response.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Plebanek to East Lansing!
#SpartansWill
@michiganstateu