
"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."
I am a translational scientist working at the interface of immunology, biologics discovery, and cell & gene therapy for oncology and autoimmune diseases. My work spans the journey from early binder and construct design through in-depth preclinical evaluation and manufacturing readiness, with particular expertise in CAR T-cell programmes.
I design and implement experimental strategies to generate, refine, and prioritise therapeutic candidates, combining computational insight with high-content laboratory validation. I am particularly interested in integrating AI/ML-driven design into my research to inform construct architecture, improve candidate selection, and make each experimental cycle more purposeful. Over the past eight years, I have progressed programmes from initial concept to stages aligned with clinical translation, collaborating closely with multidisciplinary teams and external partners to turn complex data into clear development decisions.
I am motivated by environments where scientific depth, innovation, and real-world impact intersect, and I bring a pragmatic, delivery-focused mindset to advancing next-generation immunotherapies.
If you're interested in my work or would like to connect, feel free to get in touch!
GLUT5 armouring enhances adoptive T cell therapy anti-tumour activity under glucose-limiting conditions
R Page, O Martinez, D Larcombe-Young, E Bugallo-Blanco, S Papa, E PeruchaImmunotherapy advances, 2025
Immunotherapy using IgE or CAR T cells for cancers expressing the tumor antigen SLC3A2
GPellizzari,O Martinez,S Crescioli,R Page [...],E Bugallo-Blanco, [...] SN Karagiannis
Journal for immunotherapy of cancer, 2021
Acute immune signatures and their legacies in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infected cancer patients
S Abdul-Jawad, L Baù, T Alaguthurai, IDM Del Barrio, [...],E Bugallo-Blanco, [...] S IrshadCancer Cell,2021
Tumor to normal single-cell mRNA comparisons reveal a pan-neuroblastoma cancer cell
G Kildisiute, WM Kholosy, MD Young, K Roberts, [...],E Bugallo-Blanco, [...] K Straathof, S BehjatiScience Advances, 2021
Single cell derived mRNA signals across human kidney tumors .
Young D. M, Mitchell J T, Custers MC.A, Khanbirova E, Olver RW.T, Comitani F, Piapi A, Bugallo-Blanco E, Thevanesan C, Straahof K, Behjati S, et al.Nature Communications, 2021
A dynamic COVID-19 immune signature includes associations with poor prognosis
AG Laing, A Lorenc, IDM Del Barrio, A Das, M Fish, [...],E Bugallo-Blanco, [...] AC Hayday
Nature medicine, 2020
A consensus Covid-19 immune signature combines immuno-protection with discrete sepsis-like traits associated with poor prognosis
AG Laing, A Lorenc, IDM Del Barrio, A Das, M Fish, [...],E Bugallo-Blanco, [...] AC HaydayMedrxiv, 2020
Inducible GFP reporter permits visualisation of the activation status of tumour infiltrating CAR T cells using cryo-fluorescence tomography
European Molecular Imaging Meeting, Porto, 2024.
SEEING IS BELIEVING:Non-invasive imaging to quantify CAR T cell kinetics
European Molecular Imaging Meeting, Porto, 2024.
Development of an absolute quantitation method for genetically modified cell therapy
European Association for Cancer Research meeting, Torino, 2023.
No more shots in the dark: development of an absolute quantitation method for genetically modified cell therapy
The 17th European Molecular Imaging Meeting, Thessaloniki, 2022.
No more shots in the dark: Imaging and quantifying CAR T-cells [PDF]
Poster Prize, 2021 CRUK City of London Center Symposium, London, March 2021.
Next generation T-cell immunotherpay in neuroblastoma
UCL Institute of Child Health, London, December 2018.