Robert B. Levy

Robert B. Levy, Ph.D., is a member of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. He is a professor of Microbiology and Immunology, and Ophthalmology and Medicine, and previously served as graduate program chair for 19 years within the Microbiology and Immunology department. Dr. Levy's research has been focused on developing approaches to facilitate the success of hematopoietic stem ('bone marrow') cell transplants (HSCT) by inhibiting graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) while promoting graft-versus-leukemia (GVL). His laboratory has generated a novel Treg expansion strategy via concomitant stimulation of both the TNFRFS25 and IL-2 receptors. Current studies involve the development of combinatorial protocols to inhibit activation of antigen-reactive T-cells; employing Treg cells, MEK pathway inhibitors and epigenetic transcriptional regulators; the regulation of innate immune sensors; and generating localized therapeutic modalities to treat ocular GVHD. Dr. Levy has authored more than 130 original papers, contributed to book chapters, served on study review panels, and is currently associate editor for the journals, 'Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation' and 'Bone Marrow Research.' He was an American Cancer Society fellow and a senior staff fellow at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD. He received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. at Ohio State University and his undergraduate degree from Muhlenberg College.