Bailey, Stefanie R.
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatrics
Education
- PhD, Microbiology & Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cellular Immunotherapy, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
Contact Information
Email: sbailey@virginia.edu
Website: https://www.thebaileylab.com
Research Disciplines
Cancer Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Immunology, Metabolism, Translational Science
Research Interests
Engineering programmable immunotherapies for solid tumors
Research Description
The Bailey lab develops programmable immunotherapies for solid tumors through cellular engineering, tumor microenvironment remodeling, and systems-level immunology. Our research focuses on understanding and overcoming the physical, metabolic, and immunologic barriers that limit the efficacy of cell therapies in cancer.
We investigate how engineered immune cells interact with tumor, stromal, and endogenous immune populations within the tumor microenvironment to shape antitumor responses. Major areas of focus include CAR-T cell persistence and metabolic fitness, extracellular matrix remodeling and immune exclusion, and the development of combination strategies to reshape suppressive tumor ecosystems.
A major direction of the lab involves the development of spatially controlled immunotherapies that integrate focused ultrasound with engineered immune cell systems to enhance local immune activation while minimizing systemic toxicity. We are also particularly interested in the underexplored role of CD4+ CAR-T cells and how distinct T cell subsets coordinate endogenous antitumor immunity, immune priming, and durable tumor control in solid tumors.
By integrating cellular engineering, tumor microenvironment biology, and translational immunotherapy, our goal is to develop innovative and clinically translatable therapies for pediatric and adult patients with cancer.