Hedib Alrawili

Hedib Alrawili is an esteemed member of Wolfson College and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, under the mentorship of Dr. Adan Pinto Fernandez and Prof Tao Dong. Hedib is the proud recipient of the Saudi Arabia Scholarship for Research and Innovation, funding his DPhil studies.

Hedib's DPhil research is dedicated to the identification of DUBs (Deubiquitinases) within the innate immune response, with a particular emphasis on their potential as cancer immunomodulators. His work delves into the intricate mechanisms governing the elimination of cancer cells by T cells, aiming to bolster the efficiency of cancer immunotherapy. Notably, Adan’s lab has recently unveiled a groundbreaking discovery: cancer cells deficient in the DUB USP18, a key negative regulator of the interferon pathway, exhibit heightened antigenicity and radiosensitivity. At a molecular level, USP18-deficient cells amass innate immune ligands, including dsRNA, which supercharge the antigen presentation machinery. This heightened activity empowers them to activate cytotoxic T cells with exceptional efficiency, ultimately leading to enhanced T cell killing and significantly improved responses within the realm of immunotherapy.

Hedib's research represents a pivotal step toward advancing cancer treatment and has the potential to reshape the landscape of cancer immunomodulation.