Maryam Kazerani Pasikhani is a postdoctoral researcher at the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center. Her work encompasses the epigenetic regulation of hematopoiesis and cancer immunology, with a focus on immunotherapeutic strategies for hematologic malignancies. In this Postdoc Portrait interview, she shares why her research matters now and discusses some of the most rewarding aspects of her work.
Optimizing Precision Immunotherapy
Q | What drew you to hematology and immunology?
From as early as I can remember, I have been passionate about finding better treatments for blood cancers. This interest was driven by a desire to serve patients and make a meaningful impact on their lives. That motivation led me to train as a medical laboratory technologist, where examining blood samples and diagnostic tests showed me how early detection can alter the course of hematologic malignancies.
Wanting to move from diagnosis to discovery, I pursued a master’s degree in hematology. During my PhD at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, I focused on understanding the epigenetic mechanisms that regulate hematopoietic development. As my training deepened, I became increasingly fascinated by the Nobel Prize-winning immunotherapy and its transformative potential. Leveraging my background in hematology and immunology, I shifted my focus toward optimizing immunotherapeutic strategies for patients with hematologic malignancies. Today, I remain guided by a clear sense of purpose—my “why.” As a cancer researcher, I aim to translate scientific insight into immunotherapeutic approaches that improve outcomes, extend survival, and offer patients lasting hope.
Monitoring Longitudinal Immune Fitness
Q | Tell us about your favorite research project and what you’re currently working on.
One of my favorite research projects explored how T cell immune fitness changes over time in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This question arose from the observation that several bispecific T cell engager antibodies have not yielded sustained responses in patients with patients. By testing patient-derived T cells against bispecific T cell engager antibodies at different disease stages, I found that T cells exhibit distinct functional states at diagnosis and relapse compared to complete remission. Using an integrated phenotypic, functional, metabolic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic approach, this work provided a mechanistic rationale for moving bispecific antibodies to earlier treatment settings, such as consolidation therapy—particularly in patients in remission with minimal residual disease—where restored T cell function and favorable effector-to-target ratios provide a window of enhanced therapeutic responsiveness and improved clinical outcomes.
Building on this work, my current research expands longitudinal immune monitoring to a broader population of patients with cancer on active treatments, including both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. Using high-dimensional immunophenotyping and activation-induced marker assays, I aim to define T cell immune fitness as a biomarker that can help predict treatment responses and guide more personalized immunotherapy strategies. This large-scale study of approximately 5,000 patient samples is designed to serve as a shared resource for the cancer immunology community.
Q | What has been a rewarding aspect of your career so far?
The most exciting part of my scientific journey has been seeing how passion, patience, and perseverance have enabled me to conduct high-impact, clinically relevant translational research with the potential to benefit patients with cancer. It has been deeply rewarding to see my work published in leading journals such as Leukemia, Blood, and PNAS, and it was particularly meaningful that two of my favorite projects were recognized with the American Society of Hematology Abstract Achievement Award. These milestones reinforced my commitment to pursuing research that bridges scientific insights and patient care.
Equally exciting have been the people I have encountered along the way. Working alongside highly driven scientists who excel professionally while maintaining fulfilling personal lives reshaped how I think about success. I learned that there is no single definition of work-life balance; instead, work-life integration evolves over time. Accepting moments of exhaustion while continuing to move forward with purpose has been an important lesson—one that continues to guide me as a scientist.
Q | If you could be a laboratory instrument, which one would you be and why?
I would be a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). A FACS machine has the unique ability to bring clarity by resolving heterogeneous cell populations into defined, functional subsets. In many ways, this mirrors my scientific approach—seeking to understand immune diversity rather than averaging it away.
Just as a FACS machine identifies and isolates rare yet meaningful cell populations, my research focuses on uncovering critical immune states that drive treatment response or resistance in patients with cancer. Stratifying cells based on their functional and phenotypic characteristics is central to precision immunotherapy, where identifying the right immune context can determine clinical success. Beyond its technical power, FACS represents rigor, reproducibility, and the translation of complex data into actionable insights. These principles guide my work as I aim to shed light on immune mechanisms and apply them toward more effective and personalized cancer therapies.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
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