https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events daily 0.75 2026-01-30 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/phil-kim-defends-thesis monthly 0.5 2026-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/0fb19cf1-af4d-4655-b9c0-d2ccaf45ce15/PK+Defense+Lab+Photo.jpg News & Events - Phil Kim Defends His Thesis! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1287bf4d-e808-4c5f-bb1a-8f251cc6dc04/1000014561.jpg News & Events - Phil Kim Defends His Thesis! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/daniel-joins-the-lab monthly 0.5 2026-01-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/83151d56-2db3-4be4-bfb9-a0df61b161fc/Daniel_IMG_2461.jpg News & Events - Daniel Ramos joins the lab! The lab is excited to welcome Daniel Ramos as he joins for his Master’s in Bioengineering. Before joining the lab, Daniel completed his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at San Jose State University. As an undergraduate, Daniel did research at Stanford in the Heilshorn Biomaterials Group advancing diffusion-based 3D bioprinting for vascular networks. He also worked as a lab tech in the Appel Lab working on cytokine delivery using injectable hydrogels for cancer immunotherapy. Daniel’s current interests lie in cancer immunotherapy and protein engineering, with a focus on designing next-generation therapeutics. Welcome, Daniel! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/suruchi-joins-the-lab monthly 0.5 2025-10-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/7395de2a-3f8e-47ab-9259-68043986535e/Suruchi.jpeg News & Events - Suruchi Shrestha joins the lab! The lab is excited to welcome Bhawana Shrestha (Suruchi) as the newest member of our team! She joins us as a Scientist to develop peptide- and antibody-based therapeutics for solid tumors. Before joining Stanford, Suruchi earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her doctoral research focused on engineering novel multivalent antibodies against sperm as a much-needed non-hormonal contraceptive. She is a co-inventor on the resulting patent, which has been licensed by Inhalon and Mucommune Biopharma. After completing her Ph.D., Suruchi worked as a Scientist at NextVivo, where she developed human lymphoid organoids for antibody discovery against self-antigens and advanced air–liquid interface organoid models for tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy in solid tumors. She is excited to bring together her expertise in antibody engineering and solid tumors with the Cochran Lab’s yeast display platform to advance the development of innovative new cancer therapies. Welcome, Suruchi! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/lab-hosts-4-undergraduate-students-this-summer monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1752688819941-15X78XZ4Q47FPG5AJW7F/IMG_4822.jpg News & Events - Lab welcomes 4 undergraduate students for the summer! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/kelcey-allen-joins-the-lab monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/47f0e5ff-e851-4ee1-9f3f-08ba11d0806a/IMG_5185.jpg News & Events - Kelcey Allen Joins the Lab! We are excited to welcome Kelcey Allen as the newest member of the lab! She joins us for her Ph.D. thesis research in Chemical Engineering and will be co-advised by Kyle Daniels. Before coming to Stanford, Kelcey completed her bachelor’s in chemical engineering at MIT. While there, she dove into the metabolic engineering of E. coli to produce sustainable plastic monomers which sparked her passion for synthetic biology. Her other research experiences as a summer intern at Eli Lilly and at the University of Copenhagen narrowed her focus to developing novel therapeutics. Now, she is excited to bridge the fields of cell and protein engineering to design new therapies. Kelcey is originally from St Vincent and the Grenadines, and in her free time, she enjoys playing the steel pan, trying new foods, traveling, crocheting and dancing. We are so excited for Kelcey to join the lab and look forward to her hosting a lab retreat in St Vincent and the Grenadines :) https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/philkimgraduates monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1750780364359-30M1QDSHBYNY6NRWTANV/Grad_2.jpg News & Events - Congratulations to our 2025 graduate, Phil Yong Bin Kim! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1750780363371-3TX7YESA63Q7H9CZCUZF/Grad_1.jpg News & Events - Congratulations to our 2025 graduate, Phil Yong Bin Kim! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1750780371243-EB0YALHDGW49Q1ZDHQJR/Grad_3.jpg News & Events - Congratulations to our 2025 graduate, Phil Yong Bin Kim! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jenniferelectedtonam monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1740162858893-LWFK6TILVH6LFDP0B464/Jennifer.jpeg News & Events - Jennifer elected to National Academy of Engineering! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jennifercelebrates20years monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1737249944710-DGDU8D70COIGJ8LXZGOR/IMG_1110.jpg News & Events - Jennifer celebrates her 20th anniversary at Stanford! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1737249574649-RP4C9X9OZEGDKPTMHU8E/20250111_163124.jpg News & Events - Jennifer celebrates her 20th anniversary at Stanford! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1737249589851-I1RS0RO4DWB1IAWBWX5D/20250111_162819.jpg News & Events - Jennifer celebrates her 20th anniversary at Stanford! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/matthew-proefke-joins-the-lab monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/8291afa2-8767-4d98-865e-ee2d4175ec96/IMG_6337.jpg News & Events - Matthew Proefke Joins the Lab! We are excited to welcome Matthew Proefke as the newest member of the lab! He joins us for his Ph.D. thesis research in Chemical Engineering and will be co-advised by Peter Jackson. Before coming to Stanford, Matthew was an undergraduate researcher in Greg Thurber's lab at the University of Michigan where he designed and characterized orally-deliverable probes for molecular tumor imaging. Now, his current research interests lie in combining engineering with molecular biology to design new therapies interfacing with human immune systems. Matthew is a great addition to the lab, and we are so excited to officially welcome him! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jackstanfordnewslag3 monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1711995753884-8QR29WZVP6GKCF9PPUM8/Jack.jpg News & Events - Jack Silberstein’s LAG-3 paper featured on Stanford News https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/robertleedefends monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1708210656288-689F5FPUO0CVSB6O6PFR/20240216_175720.jpg News & Events - Robert Lee Defends His Thesis! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/aet-2023 monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/797d370b-6d62-48a5-a2cf-c23f89df2c83/Attachment.jpg News & Events - Jennifer and lab members attend AET 2023 in San Diego - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/34b68062-f252-4298-b37c-13dcc6fe7f13/IMG_9135.jpeg News & Events - Jennifer and lab members attend AET 2023 in San Diego - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/brimcintoshdefends monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1693339095805-189EWY51KOGI95OHNY2O/IMG_9320.jpg News & Events - Brianna McIntosh Defends Her Thesis! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/nicholas-sarai-joins-the-lab-349ya5-jsjpr-gkrfz monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/277f4c49-c98a-4b10-9953-d8eb3d2d4b25/Nicholas_weclomepost.jpg News & Events - Nicholas Sarai Joins the Lab! The lab is excited to welcome Nicholas Sarai as the newest member of the lab! He joins us as a postdoc on the plastics team. Nicholas received his BS in Biochemistry from the University of Denver. After his undergraduate studies he conducted research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with Dr. Yannick Bomble and Dr. Michael Himmel where he studied the repertoire of enzymes capable of degrading lignocellulosic biomass. He also engineered hyperthermophilic organisms and metabolic enzymes to produce biofuels and bioproducts. Following this, Nicholas moved to Caltech where he completed his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics with Professor Frances Arnold. In the Arnold lab he engineered enzymes for new-to-nature chemistry, with a focus on developing enzymes that can catalyze the degradation of non-biodegradable pollutants. Now, in the Cochran lab, Nicholas is focused on developing enzymatic catalysts to depolymerize a variety of plastic polymers. Welcome, Nicholas! We are excited to have you in lab, and we are looking forward to learning from you! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jacksilberstein-9df5g monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1690226636825-Q2A98QRJSUVHVRAV2OOW/IMG_8986.jpg News & Events - Jack Silberstein Defends His Thesis! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1690226544145-5EQBU5APWOXN3CQ44WET/IMG_5675.jpg News & Events - Jack Silberstein Defends His Thesis! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1690226550340-7ZZO1W3C8A3JSOSRZ1JN/C8CA1818-D8C1-4D95-9E51-4A2E02950079_1_102_o.jpg News & Events - Jack Silberstein Defends His Thesis! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/2023graduates monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1687189838046-KRB74GYUOY9QU2MI36OE/PXL_20230617_222750469_Original.jpg News & Events - Congratulations to our 2023 Graduates! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1687384463289-8J1IDXGGBDSMIWOZFTD2/Robert%252BJennifer.jpg News & Events - Congratulations to our 2023 Graduates! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1687189870609-RHAY8NEJ50TMHB2H1NZB/IMG_0967.jpg News & Events - Congratulations to our 2023 Graduates! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1687189691408-BGDZT1TJNU0DI7Z3O590/IMG_8436.jpeg News & Events - Congratulations to our 2023 Graduates! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jenniferaddie-and-al-macovski-professor-of-bioengineering-9x72h-rg39d-za55f monthly 0.5 2023-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/bd8bf262-7b72-44ce-83ec-c144dcdb5e57/Lab+2+copy.jpg News & Events - Congratulations to Jennifer on her appointment as the Addie and Al Macovski Professor of Bioengineering The lab and lab alumni celebrated Jennifer’s appointment as the Addie and Al Macovski Professor of Bioengineering. Congratulations to Jennifer on this honor and accomplishment! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/aacr2023 monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1683054221512-F0H8FWE22SLH2MGIQB19/AACR+picture.jpg News & Events - Jennifer delivers keynote at AACR and meets-up with lab alumni - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jimmy-defense-2x6bb-pepeh monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/f7daf97f-d049-48e7-a5cb-fce22ad08e5d/ThesisDefense_YuXu.jpg News & Events - Jimmy Xu Defends His Thesis - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/aanya-reu-950n5-jsjpr-fk7129 monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/6574a580-771b-4a2b-a0f1-4c782b742db0/aanya_robert_jennifer.jpg News & Events - Aanya Tashfeen joined the lab for the summer! Aanya Tashfeen, a rising sophomore at Stanford, joined the lab for the summer as part of the Bioengineering REU program. She was mentored by Robert Lee, and they worked on epitope mapping an engineered cross-reactive antibody and engineering a soluble binding protein. She presented her progress and results at the BioE poster fair (pictured above with Robert and Jennifer). We loved having Aanya in the lab this summer, and we are excited that she will be joining us again the fall! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/celeste-diaz-joins-the-lab-950n5-jsjpr monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/dfebc5de-26d4-46ef-93e8-da19d4faf7e4/celeste_welcomepic.jpg News & Events - Celeste Diaz Joins the Lab The lab is excited to welcome Celeste Diaz as the newest member of the lab! She joins us for her PhD research in Cancer Biology, and she will be co-advised with Dr. Livnat Jerby Before coming to Stanford for her PhD, Celeste was an undergraduate researcher at CSU Stanislaus in Dr. My Lo Thao’s and Dr. Mark Grobner’s lab. She characterized angiogenic gene expression alterations in response to varying levels of cigarette smoke exposure that may enable tumor formation and progression. After obtaining her bachelor’s in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry, Celeste performed research in the Cancer Program at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard under the mentorship of Dr. JT Neal. Her work there utilized genome editing tools to create novel models of rare allelic variation and developing single-cell technologies that can assay functional outcomes of these genetic perturbations. Now, her interests lie in incorporating multi-omic approaches and protein engineering to develop novel therapeutics in the immuno-oncology space. Welcome, Celeste! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/nayla-abney-joins-the-lab-46tn5 monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/2a27ac9c-deac-4b09-a435-8aa09a91247b/Nayla_lab_welcome_pic.jpg News & Events - Nayla Abney Joins the Lab The lab is excited to welcome Nayla Abney as the newest member of the lab! She joins us for her PhD research in Bioengineering. Before coming to Stanford, Nayla was an undergraduate researcher at Caltech in Frances Arnold’s lab. In the Arnold lab she engineered cytochrome P450 enzymes to perform nonnative chemistry on important biomolecule motifs. Now, Nayla is interested in using protein engineering for a more translational approach to develop novel cancer therapeutics. Welcome, Nayla! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/2022graduates-9x72h-rg39d monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/f5347780-f569-4519-ac38-231e52cbb486/2022gradpics.jpg News & Events - Congratulations to our 2022 Graduates! - From left to right: Eva González Díaz, PhD (Louai’s fiance, Fan Yang Lab); Louai Labanieh, PhD; Caitlyn Miller, PhD; Jessica Frank, BS; Jennifer Cochran, PhD; Michael Hollander, PhD. Congratulations to our 2022 lab graduates! We are so proud of all of you! Following graduation, Louai will be staying at Stanford as a postdoc in the Mackall lab. Caitlyn will also be staying at Stanford as a postdoc in the Cochran and Bertozzi labs. Jessica is spending the summer as an intern at ETH in Sai Reddy’s lab, and then she will be returning to Stanford in the fall for her Master’s in Computer Science. Michael will be doing a postdoc at UCSD in Alexis Komor’s lab. Congratulations again to our amazing graduates! We will miss you in the Cochran lab, but we are so excited for your next adventures! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/michael-defense-2x6bb monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/f4b850e5-a9a1-4b72-a9d6-cda728884080/IMG_9619.jpg News & Events - Michael Hollander Defends His Thesis https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jennifer-frank-terman-award monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/51380993-9213-4a24-9f1b-bbfd74384f79/Jessica+Frank.jpg News & Events - Jessica Frank Wins a Frederick Emmons Terman Engineering Scholastic Award https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/timschnabel-switchbioworks-6ksy monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/6e3f13d9-84db-4938-8cd8-3dd4d9db9dda/Screen+Shot+2022-05-02+at+11.08.06+AM.png News & Events - Tim Schnabel Leaves the Lab to Start Switch Bioworks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/780d90bd-3c37-409f-b84c-b812398c3262/Tim.jpeg News & Events - Tim Schnabel Leaves the Lab to Start Switch Bioworks https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/alex-real-residency-match-9x72h monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/cad8fd5f-7dc8-4d02-bcac-1024a943e3cc/IMG_6649.jpg News & Events - Congratulations to Alex Real on His Residency Match We're excited to announce that Cochran lab postdoc Dr. Alex Real has matched into Radiation Oncology at UCSF with a transitional year in internal medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Alex will begin his training in external beam radiation and brachytherapy with the mission of delivering exceptional care to patients with solid-tumor malignancies. He also hopes to continue his research developing small-molecule and protein-based therapeutics for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers. Alex has been a wonderful addition to the lab, and we will miss him dearly, but we are so proud of him for his successful match! Congratulations, Alex! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/louai-defense monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600719508542-DHJ9KYEHTFEG3WII4386/LouaiLabanieh.jpg News & Events - Louai Labanieh Defends His Thesis https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/camille-williams-joins-the-lab monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/96b4adb3-4fc6-45c4-a888-370206cf80ef/unnamed.jpg News & Events - Camille Williams Joins the Lab The lab is excited to welcome Camille Williams as the newest member of the lab! She joins us for her PhD research in Chemistry. Before coming to Stanford for her PhD, Camille was an undergraduate researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Kevin Noonan’s lab where she synthesized monomers for anion exchange membranes. After obtaining her bachelor’s in chemistry, Camille worked at Eli Lilly in the Leadership Development Program where she rotated in several departments within the company including peptide development and mRNA discovery. Now, her interests lie in blending chemistry with protein engineering to develop novel therapeutics. Welcome, Camille! https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tim-schnabel-joins-the-lab monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/09687c46-83fe-471d-a11f-ce0a81905e4f/IMG_6120.jpeg News & Events - Tim Schnabel Joins the Lab The Cochran Lab is delighted to welcome Dr. Tim Schnabel to the lab. Tim will be an Entrepreneur in Residence and Postdoctoral Research Fellow with us. During his PhD work in the Sattely Lab he developed microbes that turn the air into sustainable nitrogen fertilizer (ammonia), addressing one of the engineering grand challenges of the century. He also took a dive into evolutionary stability of engineered systems. Tim is now exploring the translational potential of ammonia producing strains by adapting their circuitry for switchable ammonia production in the field and scaling their techno-economics to revolutionize agriculture. On the side, Tim is a hobby beekeeper, winemaker, gardener, budget traveler, social dancer, and author. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/synthetic-immunostimulant-for-tumor-microenvironment-transformation-and-regression-work-published-in-cell-chemical-biology monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/3b46a82b-955a-4572-984d-5b1103bb9fe1/Miller+Cell+Chemical+Biology+2021.jpg News & Events - Synthetic immunostimulant for tumor microenvironment transformation and regression work published in Cell Chemical Biology - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/alex-real-joins-the-lab monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/bb406383-7224-49a9-8d97-11525bfb81a2/Website+Pic.jpg News & Events - Alex Real Joins the Lab The lab is excited to welcome back Alex Real, who has recently rejoined the lab as a postdoctoral fellow! Alex previously had been a lab member as an undergraduate student at Stanford, before completing his MD/PhD at Mt. Sinai in New York City. Prior to his return to Stanford, Alex completed his PhD research under the mentorship of Dr. Arvin Dar. His work involved unpacking the structural mechanism of action for the FDA approved MEK inhibitor Trametinib, and identifying more efficacious Trametinib analogs in models of difficult-to-treat cancers such as KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Clinically, Alex has particular interest in solid-tumor malignancies as well as the intersection of LGBTQIA health, women’s health, and oncology. Outside of the lab, Alex has enjoyed a long career in dance - previously with the Los Angeles Ballet - but these days mostly dances for fun. Now, Alex is excited to explore protein engineering techniques for applications in oncology. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/caitlyn-defense monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600719480722-GFNM7XEMXJB0EBX8TZJV/CaitlynMiller.jpg News & Events - Caitlyn Miller Defends Her Thesis https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/louia-labanieh-named-siebel-scholar monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1634324793628-T86PJ83J8OERU5354XST/wide.png News & Events - Louai Labanieh Named Siebel Scholar - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/lab-hosted-undergraduate-students-this-summer monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1629922522401-9H79US4NS2FU5O6RF35R/IMG_5032.png News & Events - Lab Hosted Undergraduate Students this Summer - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/sainiteesh-maddineni-graduates-with-honors monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1622760006447-LM6JFYJQ3X1NVAXQ96F7/Maddineni_Sainiteesh_Headshot.JPG News & Events - Sainiteesh Maddineni Graduates with Honors - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jocelyn-valenzuela-joins-the-lab monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1625881761466-VBE2OTGOD74KVNRB2Y6Z/JV.jpg News & Events - Jocelyn Valenzuela Joins the Lab The lab is excited to welcome Jocelyn Valenzuela as a new member of the lab! She joins us for her PhD dissertation research in Chemical Engineering. Before coming to Stanford for her PhD, Jocelyn was an undergraduate researcher at San Jose State University. In the Wolcott Lab, her work involved modifying nanodiamond surfaces for use in earlier cancer detection. She later joined the Kao Lab, where she worked on engineering TiO2-binding E. coli for lithium ion battery production. Now, her interests lie in using protein engineering to develop targeted cancer therapies. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/lif-receptor-decoy-engineering-work-published-in-nature-communications-biology monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1618278815818-K11LY2VDENKR1QVGV03X/s42003-021-01928-2.jpg News & Events - LIF Receptor Decoy Engineering Work Published in Nature Communications Biology Our work on engineering a human LIF receptor decoy for pancreatic cancer treatment in collaboration with Tony Hunter’s lab was published in Nature Communications Biology. To read the publication, click here. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/phil-kim-joins monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1617067360853-YZG16QHZQYCALY4YERSF/20200121_195445.jpg News & Events - Phil Yong Bin Kim Joins the Lab The lab is excited to welcome Phil Yong Bin Kim as a new member of the lab! He will be co-advised in Possu Huang’s Lab during his PhD Program in Chemical Engineering. Before coming to Stanford for his PhD, Phil was an undergraduate researcher in the Dueber Lab at UC Berkeley and a Strain & Enzyme Engineer at Amyris. He is interested in computational and experimental approaches for protein science as well as protein engineering for therapeutic applications. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/virtual-lab-reunion-held monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1617127817629-P1NBKD50SVYD5KBWDKXB/1611468442180.jpeg News & Events - Virtual Lab Reunion Held https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/glp1-agonist-engineering-work-published-in-acs-chemical-biology monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1608442897837-Q7P3N35INMSV2MXGIMNS/cb0c00722_0001.jpg News & Events - GLP1 Agonist Engineering Work Published in ACS Chemical Biology https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/anti-vista-antibody-scientific-reports-paper monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600715738646-1ML0IQ62S7DDIFTHKPBP/s41598-020-71519-4.png News & Events - Anti-VISTA Antibody Engineering Work Published in Scientific Reports https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/nikita-joins-the-lab-as-a-post-doc monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600893673028-JHM66HUCPNBUICU1TKLP/nikita-linkedin.jpg News & Events - Nikita Khlystov Joins the Lab The Cochran Lab is delighted to welcome Dr. Nikita Khlystov to the lab as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Nikita recently completed his PhD in the Sattely Lab in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Stanford. His project will involve engineering biochemical mechanisms for depolymerization of polyolefins aimed at solving the global plastic pollution crisis. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jessica-and-her-team-win-first-place-microsofts-company-wide-hackathon monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600903736845-XUASIFIFYEAGNK8PAJHJ/Microsoft-Logo.png News & Events - Jessica Frank and her team win first place in Microsoft’s company-wide hackathon https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jacks-covid-19-research-featured monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600900336198-QROBJGC2T980RRU0AAKU/slacsnewxray.jpg News & Events - Jack Silberstein’s COVID-19 Research Featured by SLAC, Stanford Chemistry, and Phys.org https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/phillip-liu-begins-rotation-in-the-lab monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1594915036804-J9CR06848EL7XFQ9SDSP/PhillipLiu.jpg News & Events - Phillip Liu Begins Rotation in the Lab The lab is excited to welcome a new rotation student, Phillip Liu, from the Biophysics PhD program. Before coming to Stanford for his PhD, Phillip was an undergraduate in the Bjorkman Lab at Caltech. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/collaboration-in-developing-covid-19-antibody-test-featured-in-the-stanford-daily monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600901950669-WGSE0POPM3HUXUM64UF9/image-asset.jpeg News & Events - Collaboration in developing COVID-19 antibody test featured in The Stanford Daily https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/clcf1cntfr-pnas-paper-featured-by-stanford-engineering monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1594838994769-1DI9H95Z52LFM28N51DL/ligand-story-art-neuron.jpeg News & Events - CLCF1/CNTFR PNAS Paper Featured by Stanford Engineering https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/chelsea-defense monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1593751244670-NZGM8H638GR7C1907CF1/16905052_10155741290579298_4403202346050223451_o.jpg News & Events - Chelsea Longwell Defends Her Thesis https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/michael-receives-community-impact-award monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600900984873-RSY1FYOTJ35U4UHGNMI2/StanfordAlumni_620x437.jpg News & Events - Michael Hollander receives Community Impact Award https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/fellowships monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1594871639796-5PGRZ5AZQVGG5XFPOP2O/fellowship%252Bimage-page-001.jpg News & Events - Bri, Jack, & Grayson Awarded with Graduate Fellowships https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/nishu-defense monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1593751329247-VX3NZT8KRBSBFEK2ZFKL/49612689_10157128174805701_4621548384325468160_o.jpg News & Events - Nishant Mehta Defends His Thesis https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/sai-and-his-team-win-at-the-mit-covid-19-challenge monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600910481618-NMZ5TOVU6ZIUFZHYTOVI/IMG_1152.JPG News & Events - Sai Maddineni and his team win at the MIT COVID-19 Challenge https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/sean-defense monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1593750942932-WN00931Q4KOLLS3WSMHS/41650162_10155895729888951_3461748850371330048_o.jpg News & Events - Sean Hunter Defends His Thesis https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/vista-slac monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1593750241404-I4LRE4FUM2LTGOD9KI71/vista-slac.jpg News & Events - VISTA Cell Reports Paper Featured by Stanford SLAC https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/decoy-receptor-targeting-clcf1-nature-medicine-paper-featured-by-stanford-bioengineering monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1594856347408-K9NXCX7LQ5439HADHHJ5/image-asset.jpeg News & Events - Decoy Receptor targeting CLCF1 Nature Medicine Paper Featured by Stanford Bioengineering https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/michael-receives-the-nih-ruth-l-kirschstein-research-service-award-from-the-nci monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600901514278-KQ95PBUMA2TZSIXR2FF3/NCI_Stacked_COLOR.png News & Events - Michael Hollander receives the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein Research Service Award from the NCI https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/jennifer-presents-at-amgen-biotech-conference monthly 0.5 2025-09-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1594850471241-BDZP305IWE4EV6GDRC3L/for+website.jpeg News & Events - Jennifer Presents at Amgen Biotech Conference https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/category/Research+Presentation monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/category/Lab+Announcement monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/category/Research+Publication monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/category/Press monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/clcf1 monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/biotechnology monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/conference monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/biologics monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/thesis+defense monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/nsf+graduate+fellowship monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/stanford+chem-h monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/antibody+engineering monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/receptor+decoy monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/cntfr monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/rotation+student monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/awards monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/stanford+bio-x monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/publication monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/structural+biology monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/ligand-receptor+engineering monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/vista monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/news-events/tag/immunology monthly 0.5 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/contact daily 0.75 2025-10-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/23fc2655-f0ff-454e-9a75-4885dc75fea6/Cochran+Logo+%281%29.png Contact - Make it stand out https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/home daily 1.0 2022-08-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/ed4f213e-54bd-4a4d-8d22-722817b3a46e/grouppic_08242022.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1593753099523-LIJG4YFIPQFHXN898MDU/Stanford+BIOE+banner+2019+lab+photo.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/3d4b28dd-e098-4526-ae40-a8de58b60060/KBBQ_labdinner2022.jpg Home https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/research daily 0.75 2023-11-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1584757919788-M9PLOY9X486UMKPVROGA/maxresdefault.jpg Research - Engineering Proteins to Modulate the Immune System Immune system engagement is a powerful approach that is being exploited to treat cancer and other diseases. We pursue understudied immune targets with direct translational impact. As examples, we engineer novel proteins and antibodies for tumor and stromal targeted immuno-modulation and collaborate with experts to use engineering strategies to develop enhanced cell therapies. Our work has contributed to therapeutic candidates that are advancing towards clinical testing and includes elucidation of structural features and binding/functional properties. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600712047862-T15NLF24QSGDRQ30P0DE/general-ligand-recep.png Research - Engineering Natural Receptor-Ligand Interactions to Create Therapeutics The biological importance and druggable properties of receptors and their cognate ligands have designated them as especially useful clinical targets. This significance continues to expand as molecular insights underlying disease are uncovered. Our lab has focused on developing novel tailor-made protein therapeutics against ligand and receptor targets implicated in cancer and regenerative medicine. At our core, we are committed to basic science pursuits, developing these engineered proteins as tools to correlate sequence-structure-function relationships and provide mechanistic insight into ligand/receptor interactions. Importantly, we also have a passion for bench-to-bedside research that has the potential to greatly impact patients. Towards this end, a number of the engineered proteins developed in our lab have moved forward towards clinical development for oncology or regenerative medicine applications. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600708583295-2Q38V6SVZLQ9TRUL5OU6/AXLGas6+decoy+receptor.jpg Research - Cancer Antibodies are therapeutic workhorses of the pharmaceutical industry, and have been generated against ligands and receptors to inhibit tumor cell signaling, growth, and metastasis. Instead, we engineer the ligands and receptors themselves as therapeutics to overcome inherent limitations of antibodies and offer novel therapeutic approaches for cancer. As examples, we have used rational and combinatorial methods to engineer natural ligands, including VEGF, HGF, CLCF1, HAI-1, and PDGF as high affinity, potent inhibitors of cancer cell function. In addition, we have engineered designer versions of soluble receptors (aka receptor ‘decoys’) to bind to and sequester ligands that would otherwise drive cell signaling and cancer progression. These engineered receptor decoys overcome inherent high affinity and complexity of natural ligand-receptor interactions. Examples include an engineered Axl receptor decoy that binds with ultra-high affinity (fM) to Gas6 and inhibits metastatic spread of aggressive cancers (currently in Phase Ib/II trials for ovarian and clear cell renal cancer), and engineered CNTFR and LIFR decoys that bind with high affinity and inhibit activity of CLCF1 and LIF ligands, respectively, for treatment of lung and pancreatic cancers. *VEGF= vascular endothelial growth factor; HGF= hepatocyte growth factor; CLCF1= cardiotrophin like cytokine factor 1; HAI-1= hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type-1; PDGF= platelet-derived growth factor; Axl= Axl receptor tyrosine kinase; Gas6= growth arrest specific 6; CNTFR= ciliary neurotrophin factor receptor; LIFR= leukemia inhibitory factor receptor; LIF= leukemia inhibitory factor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600711538276-63NI5PTDLAHV3WLPWWEJ/GrowthFactors-RegenMed.png Research - Regenerative Medicine We also engineer natural ligands to serve as potent stimulators of cell activation for regenerative properties in wound healing, cardiac tissue regeneration, and ophthalmic applications. Examples include engineered epidermal growth factor (EGF) mutants with enhanced activity, which are currently under commercial development for wound healing and cosmetic applications; a stable engineered protein fragment of HGF that has shown promise in repairing tissues following myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attack) in rodent and sheep models; an engineered CLCF1 ‘superagonist’ that stimulates enhanced neural cell regeneration, and engineered glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists for insulin modulation in diabetes. We collaborate with a number of leading researcher groups who develop novel biomaterials for optimal delivery of these engineered growth factors and cytokines to places they are needed in the body. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600822446690-LEVHQEUHWC73JRCKD9D3/VISTA.jpg Research - Biophysical Characterization of Engineered and Native Proteins The Cochran Lab uses NMR, X-ray crystallography, and cryo-EM to elucidate the structural features of engineered and native proteins, to paint a molecular portrait of proteins and their interactions. We also use epitope mapping techniques to determine important amino acid residues underlying ligand/receptor/antibody interactions. Often times, these structural studies reveal unique features of engineered proteins and their sequence-structure-function relationships that could not have been easily predicated. For these endeavors, we collaborate with scientists at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) and the Stanford ChEM-H Macromolecule Structure Knowledge Center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1593623416934-WPEDUT011F0A7N5SNND7/KnottinApplications.jpg Research - Engineered Cystine Knot Peptides (Knottins) Our research group has a strong interest in developing peptide-based alternatives to monoclonal antibodies for tumor-targeting applications. The cystine knot (AKA knottin) family of peptides contains a disulfide-bonded core that confers outstanding proteolytic resistance and thermal stability. We engineered unique knottin peptides that bind with high affinity to multiple integrin adhesion receptors present on tumors and their vasculature. The peptides benefit from increased tumor permeability and rapid clearance from non-tumor tissues due to their small size (~3.5 kDa), and have been used in numerous applications as a universal tumor targeting agent including tumor imaging and drug delivery. A version of the peptide fused to an antibody Fc domain has been developed for T cell mediated immunotherapy in combination with interleukin-2 or checkpoint inhibitors, and provides robust tumor control, and in some cases cures, in tumor models. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/photos daily 0.75 2020-09-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/486fef52-7e62-4e92-b403-41777ede62a9/1000014562.jpg Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/36f260f9-f758-4dbc-b767-c62b027cd0ac/PETRAKIAN+-+Megan+Noll++Reception-490.jpg Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1708211002614-LT7PJIHUEW9ADRENIKBX/20240216_175936.jpg Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/3d4b28dd-e098-4526-ae40-a8de58b60060/KBBQ_labdinner2022.jpg Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/ed4f213e-54bd-4a4d-8d22-722817b3a46e/grouppic_08242022.jpg Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/7ec039f4-e887-43bf-a2b7-8a15d0fe1a66/IMG_6844.jpeg Photos Lab Pool Night Date: 6/17/22 Location: EVGR First row (left to right): Michael Hollander, Robert Lee, Bri McIntosh, Phillip Liu, Jocelyn Valenzuela, Camille Williams, Phil Kim https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/9c941e56-c7a8-4b1c-9417-1cdae9e0c403/078BDF35-A4CB-4ED5-88CA-5BDCD2FB66BD.jpeg Photos Lab Holiday Party! Date: 12/10/21 Location: Shriram Tea Room Back row (left to right): Nayla Abney, Phil Kim, Jimmy Xu, Bri McIntosh, Jack Silberstein, Jennifer Cochran, Phillip Liu, Robert Lee, Nikita Khlystov, Michael Hollander Front row (left to right): Jocelyn Valenzuela, Jessica Frank, Caitlyn Miller, Grayson Rodriguez, Carlos Rodriguez, Carlos' wife https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1584769321570-DG0GP4POX88KSMU33F7I/image.jpg Photos Lab Minigolf Date: 3/8/20 Location: Golfland USA First row (left to right): Grayson Rodriguez, Jessica Frank, Nishu Mehta, Michael Dubreil (Bri’s boyfriend), Bri McIntosh, Shizuka Yamada (Sean’s wife), Sean Hunter, Leigh Winters (Jack’s wife) Second row (left to right): Michael Hollander, Jack Silberstein, Robert Lee https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1584769321733-QDW14A89TYK3BRHVNA62/20190803_133624+%282%29+%281%29.jpg Photos Lab BBQ Date: 8/3/19 Location: Munger BBQ Pit https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1594665014919-93318FTCW6472JRG5C5C/Picture1.png Photos Lab Musical Date: 7/21/19 Location: Book of Mormon in San Jose First row (left to right): Nishu Mehta, Michael Dubreil (Bri’s boyfriend), Leigh Winters (Jack’s wife), two cast members of the show, Jack Silberstein, cast member, Bri McIntosh, Monica Nesselbush (Bri’s friend), two cast members https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1584769327428-BXHPKT58XKV3P99HJ4BR/IMG_0275.jpg Photos Date: 2/18/19 Location: Bowlmor Cupertino First row (left to right): Jessica Frank (undergrad), Chelsea Kliebert, Robert Lee, Sean Hunter, Michael Hollander, Erin Soon (rotation student), Bri McIntosh Second row (left to right): Sai Maddineni (undergrad), Jack Silberstein, Amanda Rabe https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1584769322645-WZ2O1SWZLXZTWP9DRN3X/Jack%27s+Wedding.jpg Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1584769344481-K84T0OU1AEHQXDRE91XF/18_Cochran_FULL-1.jpg Photos Lab Photo Date: 1/31/18 Location: Shriram Stairwell First row (left to right): Second row (left to right): https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1594665012126-VDB39TAP7T0OM8R4GY1U/Picture3.png Photos Date: 9/21/19 Location: Sagamore Pendry Baltimore First row (left to right): Michael Dubreil (Bri’s boyfriend), Michael Hollander, Bri McIntosh, Nishu Mehta, Sai Madinenni, Jack Silberstein, Sean Hunter, Shizuka Yamada (Sean’s wife), James Kintzing, Swetha Gurajala (Nishu’s fiance) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1584769326464-4CTMWZ7MP7L4EC038GOM/Cochran+lab+reunion+June+24+2018+%282%29.jpg Photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1584769330519-Y0M2EH82357VJNN4ILZY/20160928_094437.jpg Photos https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/lab-alumni daily 0.75 2025-06-18 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/review-articles daily 0.75 2020-09-21 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/all-publications daily 0.75 2025-05-27 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/recent-publications daily 0.75 2025-05-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/bfbda893-c25c-49a8-837d-c04ffa862983/Screenshot+2025-05-26+at+8.15.54%E2%80%AFPM.jpg Recent Publications - Engineered CD47 protects T cells for enhanced antitumor immunity in Nature on May 15, 2024 by Sean A. Yamada-Hunter,Johanna Theruvath, Brianna J. McIntosh, Katherine A. Freitas, Frank Lin, Molly T. Radosevich, Amaury Leruste, Shaurya Dhingra , Naiara Martinez-Velez, Peng Xu, Jing Huang, Alberto Delaidelli, Moksha H. Desai, Zinaida Good, Roel Polak, Audre May, Louai Labanieh, Jeremy Bjelajac, Tara Murty, Zach Ehlinger , Christopher W. Mount, Yiyun Chen, Sabine Heitzeneder, Kristopher D. Marjon, Allison Banuelos, Omair Khan, Savannah L. Wasserman, Jay Y. Spiegel, Sebastian Fernandez-Pol, Calvin J. Kuo , Poul H. Sorensen, Michelle Monje, Robbie G. Majzner, Irving L. Weissman, Bita Sahaf, Elena Sotillo, Jennifer R. Cochran, and Crystal L. Mackall Adoptively transferred T cells and agents designed to block the CD47–SIRPα axis are promising cancer therapeutics that activate distinct arms of the immune system. Here we administered anti-CD47 antibodies in combination with adoptively transferred T cells with the goal of enhancing antitumor efficacy but observed abrogated therapeutic benefit due to rapid macrophage-mediated clearance of T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) or engineered T cell receptors. Anti-CD47-antibody-mediated CAR T cell clearance was potent and rapid enough to serve as an effective safety switch. To overcome this challenge, we engineered the CD47 variant CD47(Q31P) (47E), which engages SIRPα and provides a ‘don’t eat me’ signal that is not blocked by anti-CD47 antibodies. TCR or CAR T cells expressing 47E are resistant to clearance by macrophages after treatment with anti-CD47 antibodies, and mediate substantial, sustained macrophage recruitment to the tumor microenvironment. Although many of the recruited macrophages manifested an M2-like profile, the combined therapy synergistically enhanced antitumor efficacy. Our study identifies macrophages as major regulators of T cell persistence and illustrates the fundamental challenge of combining T-cell-directed therapeutics with those designed to activate macrophages. It delivers a therapeutic approach that is capable of simultaneously harnessing the antitumor effects of T cells and macrophages, offering enhanced potency against solid tumors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/186e7f63-a961-45b0-8512-51cbc5503754/Screenshot+2024-09-13+at+12.50.59%E2%80%AFPM.png Recent Publications - An Engineered NKp46 Antibody for Construction of Multi-Specific NK Cell Engagers in Protein Eng Des Sel, 2024 by Robert B Lee, Sainiteesh Maddineni, Madeleine Landry, Celeste Diaz, Aanya Tashfeen, Sean A. Yamada-Hunter, Crystal L. Mackall, Corinne Beinat, John B. Sunwoo, and Jennifer R. Cochran Recent developments in cancer immunotherapy have highlighted the potential of harnessing natural killer (NK) cells in the treatment of neoplastic malignancies. Of these, bispecific antibodies, and NK cell engager (NKCE) protein therapeutics in particular, have been of interest. Here, we used phage display and yeast surface display to engineer RLN131, a unique cross-reactive antibody that binds to human, mouse, and cynomolgus NKp46, an activating receptor found on NK cells. RLN131 induced proliferation and activation of primary NK cells, and was used to create bispecific NKCE constructs of varying configurations and valency. All NKCEs were able to promote greater NK cell cytotoxicity against tumor cells than an unmodified anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, and activity was observed irrespective of whether the constructs contained a functional Fc domain. Competition binding and fine epitope mapping studies were used to demonstrate that RLN131 binds to a conserved epitope on NKp46, underlying its species cross-reactivity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1f5191de-9a98-48aa-aebb-6c9d736f3ffb/Structural+insights+reveal+interplay+between+LAG-3+homodimerization%2C+ligand+binding%2C+and+function+2.jpg Recent Publications - Structural insights reveal interplay between LAG-3 homodimerization, ligand binding, and function in PNAS on March 14, 2024 by Jack L Silberstein, Jasper Du, Kun-Wei Chan, Jessica A Frank, Irimpan I Mathews, Yong Bin Kim, Jia You, Qiao Liu, Elliot A Philips, Phillip Liu, Eric Rao, Daniel Fernandez, Grayson E Rodriguez, Xiang-Peng Kong, Jun Wang, and Jennifer R Cochran Lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) is an inhibitory receptor expressed on activated T cells and an emerging immunotherapy target. Domain 1 (D1) of LAG-3, which has been purported to directly interact with major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) and fibrinogen-like protein 1 (FGL1), has been the major focus for the development of therapeutic antibodies that inhibit LAG-3 receptor-ligand interactions and restore T cell function. Here, we present a high-resolution structure of glycosylated mouse LAG-3 ectodomain, identifying that cis-homodimerization, mediated through a network of hydrophobic residues within domain 2 (D2), is critically required for LAG-3 function. Additionally, we found a previously unidentified key protein-glycan interaction in the dimer interface that affects the spatial orientation of the neighboring D1 domain. Mutation of LAG-3 D2 residues reduced dimer formation, dramatically abolished LAG-3 binding to both MHCII and FGL1 ligands, and consequentially inhibited the role of LAG-3 in suppressing T cell responses. Intriguingly, we showed that antibodies directed against D1, D2, and D3 domains are all capable of blocking LAG-3 dimer formation and MHCII and FGL-1 ligand binding, suggesting a potential allosteric model of LAG-3 function tightly regulated by dimerization. Furthermore, our work reveals unique epitopes, in addition to D1, that can be targeted for immunotherapy of cancer and other human diseases. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/0c99d05b-7032-4b0f-a7cd-7cbf3c42537f/Bri+Figure.jpeg Recent Publications - An engineered interleukin-11 decoy cytokine inhibits receptor signaling and proliferation in lung adenocarcinoma in Bioengineering & Translational Medicine on July 18, 2023 by Brianna J. McIntosh, Griffin G. Hartmann, Sean A. Yamada-Hunter, Phillip Liu, Camille F. Williams, Julien Sage Jennifer R. Cochran The cytokine interleukin (IL)-11 has been shown to play a role in promoting fibrosis and cancer, including lung adenocarcinoma, garnering interest as an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. We used combinatorial methods to engineer an IL-11 variant that binds with higher affinity to the IL-11 receptor and stimulates enhanced receptor-mediated cell signaling. Introduction of two additional point mutations ablates IL-11 ligand/receptor association with the gp130 coreceptor signaling complex, resulting in a high-affinity receptor antagonist. Unlike wild-type IL-11, this engineered variant potently blocks IL-11-mediated cell signaling and slows tumor growth in a mouse model of lung cancer. Our approach highlights a strategy where native ligands can be engineered and exploited to create potent receptor antagonists. https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/people daily 0.75 2026-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600719375722-CNDDVMJD0H5169PVHRKF/Chelsea.jpeg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/fcec7272-f773-4df4-8153-713782a8981d/Suruchi.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/69300815-7454-4a6d-abfa-27cd62b9ba48/PhillipLiu+%281%29.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/aa96bae2-11dd-4511-b517-7e79dc4538f8/Profile_pic_PK.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1625881761466-VBE2OTGOD74KVNRB2Y6Z/JV.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/60005006-b618-4bb1-aa2c-c817ad329468/headshot2_unedited.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/f1bb9bed-9566-429f-a1b3-ead8bd8a804b/IMG_4867.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/333c6328-e63b-413d-a031-0b8a820b1f35/celeste_headshot.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/33957cb4-ccba-4460-8134-8efd8eec476b/headshot.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/94e9d83a-317e-4246-ae99-7293c2089bda/2843DB96-C7M9.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/497c3502-0721-41f5-b06f-fd7fa1bd59a3/Daniel_Stanford+Headshot.jpg People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/bde07a18-32ef-41b2-97a2-7aa4fc1a78b8/IMG_2507.png People https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/7028c70a-78c8-4960-ba3b-ca0430e26b2e/IMG_7289.png People https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/research-papers daily 0.75 2025-05-27 https://cochranlab.stanford.edu/research-1 daily 0.75 2020-09-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1584757919788-M9PLOY9X486UMKPVROGA/maxresdefault.jpg Research (Copy) - Engineering Proteins to Modulate the Immune System Immune system engagement is a powerful approach that is being exploited to treat cancer and other diseases. We pursue understudied immune targets with direct translational impact. As examples, we engineer novel proteins and antibodies for tumor and stromal targeted immuno-modulation and collaborate with experts to use engineering strategies to develop enhanced cell therapies. Our work has contributed to therapeutic candidates that are advancing towards clinical testing and includes elucidation of structural features and binding/functional properties. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600712047862-T15NLF24QSGDRQ30P0DE/general-ligand-recep.png Research (Copy) - Engineering Natural Receptor-Ligand Interactions to Create Therapeutics The biological importance and druggable properties of receptors and their cognate ligands have designated them as especially useful clinical targets. This significance continues to expand as molecular insights underlying disease are uncovered. Our lab has focused on developing novel tailor-made protein therapeutics against ligand and receptor targets implicated in cancer and regenerative medicine. At our core, we are committed to basic science pursuits, developing these engineered proteins as tools to correlate sequence-structure-function relationships and provide mechanistic insight into ligand/receptor interactions. Importantly, we also have a passion for bench-to-bedside research that has the potential to greatly impact patients. Towards this end, a number of the engineered proteins developed in our lab have moved forward towards clinical development for oncology or regenerative medicine applications. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600708583295-2Q38V6SVZLQ9TRUL5OU6/AXLGas6+decoy+receptor.jpg Research (Copy) - Cancer Antibodies are therapeutic workhorses of the pharmaceutical industry, and have been generated against ligands and receptors to inhibit tumor cell signaling, growth, and metastasis. Instead, we engineer the ligands and receptors themselves as therapeutics to overcome inherent limitations of antibodies and offer novel therapeutic approaches for cancer. As examples, we have used rational and combinatorial methods to engineer natural ligands, including VEGF, HGF, CLCF1, HAI-1, and PDGF as high affinity, potent inhibitors of cancer cell function. In addition, we have engineered designer versions of soluble receptors (aka receptor ‘decoys’) to bind to and sequester ligands that would otherwise drive cell signaling and cancer progression. These engineered receptor decoys overcome inherent high affinity and complexity of natural ligand-receptor interactions. Examples include an engineered Axl receptor decoy that binds with ultra-high affinity (fM) to Gas6 and inhibits metastatic spread of aggressive cancers (currently in Phase Ib/II trials for ovarian and clear cell renal cancer), and engineered CNTFR and LIFR decoys that bind with high affinity and inhibit activity of CLCF1 and LIF ligands, respectively, for treatment of lung and pancreatic cancers. *VEGF= vascular endothelial growth factor; HGF= hepatocyte growth factor; CLCF1= cardiotrophin like cytokine factor 1; HAI-1= hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor type-1; PDGF= platelet-derived growth factor; Axl= Axl receptor tyrosine kinase; Gas6= growth arrest specific 6; CNTFR= ciliary neurotrophin factor receptor; LIFR= leukemia inhibitory factor receptor; LIF= leukemia inhibitory factor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1600711538276-63NI5PTDLAHV3WLPWWEJ/GrowthFactors-RegenMed.png Research (Copy) - Regenerative Medicine We also engineer natural ligands to serve as potent stimulators of cell activation for regenerative properties in wound healing, cardiac tissue regeneration, and ophthalmic applications. Examples include engineered epidermal growth factor (EGF) mutants with enhanced activity, which are currently under commercial development for wound healing and cosmetic applications; a stable engineered protein fragment of HGF that has shown promise in repairing tissues following myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attack) in rodent and sheep models; an engineered CLCF1 ‘superagonist’ that stimulates enhanced neural cell regeneration, and engineered glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists for insulin modulation in diabetes. We collaborate with a number of leading researcher groups who develop novel biomaterials for optimal delivery of these engineered growth factors and cytokines to places they are needed in the body. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1593623167976-CO3Q7S5P1JEZIJMAU8JI/VISTAstructure.jpg Research (Copy) - Biophysical Characterization of Engineered and Native Proteins We are interested in understanding the molecular structure and interactions of the proteins that we engineer. We collaborate with scientists at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) to discover new protein structures through x-ray crystallography and cryo-EM. We also use epitope mapping to determine important binding residues for our antibodies. We were the first to publish the crystal structure of VISTA, an important and understudied immune checkpoint protein that inhibits the T cell response against cancer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e729010626ebf110b75dfdf/1593623416934-WPEDUT011F0A7N5SNND7/KnottinApplications.jpg Research (Copy) - Applications of Integrin Targeting Cystine Knot Peptides (knottins) Our research group has a strong interest in developing peptide-based alternatives to monoclonal antibodies for tumor-targeting applications. Towards this goal, we engineered cystine knot (knottin) peptides for high affinity molecular recognition against tumor-associated receptors. The knottin family of peptides contains a disulfide-bonded core that confers outstanding proteolytic resistance and thermal stability. We have engineered a knottin, 2.5F, that binds to multiple integrin pairs upregulated on cancer cells. The peptide benefits from increased tumor permeability and rapid clearance from non-tumor tissues due to its small (3 kDa) size. 2.5F has been used in numerous applications for imaging and drug delivery. It has also been studied as a combination therapy through blockade of integrins or through Fc-dependent immune activation through the creation of a 2.5F Fc fusion.