Jessica Konen, PhD

Biography

Jessica Konen, PhD, is an instructor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine.

Dr. Konen is a member of the Cancer Immunology Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. She holds professional membership with American Association for Cancer Research and Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer.

Education

Dr. Konen earned her PhD from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. She completed her postdoctoral training at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Titles & Roles

• Instructor, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology

  Emory University School of Medicine

Research

Dr. Konen's research focuses on revealing intrinsic and acquired resistance mechanisms to immunotherapy in lung cancer patients, with a focus on implementing rational drug combinations to improve immune checkpoint blockade efficacy. Her research efforts have revealed the importance of bioactive metabolites within the tumor microenvironment that can alter T cell functionality and thus response to immunotherapy. Using multi-modal approaches, her research aims to continue to dissect the extracellular metabolome during "normal" lung cancer evolution, as well as explore how immunotherapy-resistant tumor cells alter this profile over time to generate immune dysfunction.

Publications