Michelle Burr

Michelle Burr is originally from Richmond, Texas. She received her B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Genetics and Human Health from the University of Arizona in 2023. Currently, she is a graduate research student and Ph.D. candidate under the mentorship of Dr. Richard Simpson. Michelle’s research focuses on enhancing the efficacy of donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) for treating hematological malignancies, particularly pediatric leukemia. Her research involves the ex vivo expansions of αß T- cells, γδ T- cells, and NK cells to augment their cytotoxic capacity against malignant cells. She aims to improve immune cell persistence in uniform co-cultures suitable for clinical applications. A critical aspect of her work focuses on optimizing graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) effects while reducing graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), thereby enhancing the therapeutic potential of cell products.