Pioneering research regarding antigen presentation and T cell responses in skin cancer

The Hastings Laboratory investigates antigen presentation and T cell responses in skin cancer. We study the role of antigen presentation in controlling T cell activation and tolerance to cutaneous antigens, using mouse models of melanoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; cell culture systems; and patient specimens.

Hastings Lab News

Anngela Adams successfully defended her PhD dissertation entitled “Neoantigen-specific T cells in a novel cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma model” in December 2023

Anngela Adams was selected to give a poster presentation at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Annual Meeting in November 2023 on her work on T cell responses to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Elizabeth Borden was selected to give a poster presentation at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Annual Meeting in November 2023 on her work on shared neoantigens in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Karen Hastings was named the inaugural chair of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix Department of Dermatology in September 2023

Anngela Adams was selected for an oral presentation at the International Society for Investigative Dermatology Meeting in May 2023 on her work on T cell recognition of UV-induced neoantigens in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Elizabeth Borden was selected for an oral presentation at the MathOnc 2023 Conference in May 2023 on her work on neoantigen prioritization

Elizabeth Borden was awarded an NIH F30 training grant in July 2023 to support her training in neoantigen prioritization and immunoediting in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Anne Macy, Lauren Herrmann, Anngela Adams, and Karen Hastings published a review article entitled “Major histocompatibility complex class II in the tumor microenvironment: functions of nonprofessional antigen-presenting cells” in Current Opinion in Immunology, April 2023

Elizabeth Borden was selected for an oral presentation at the Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium in March 2023 on her work on immunoediting in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

Lauren Herrmann was selected for a poster presentation at the Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium in March 2023 on her work on the role of GILT in melanoma cells on regulating tumor growth and adaptive immune response and was awarded a second place poster award

Anngela Adams was selected for a poster presentation at the Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium in March 2023 on her work on neoantigen-specific T cell responses in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and was awarded a second place poster award

Anne Macy was selected for a poster presentation at the Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium in March 2023 on her work on the role of MHC class II in melanoma cells on regulating tumor growth and adaptive immune response

Anngela Adams was awarded an NIH F30 training grant in February 2023 to support her training on neoantigen-specific T cell responses in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma

2022 News

Elizabeth Borden was selected to give a poster presentation at the University of Arizona Cancer Center’s Cancer Research: Present and Future Conference in September 2022 on her work prioritizing immunogenic neoantigens using the novel NeoScore model.

Lauren Herrmann was selected to give a poster presentation at the University of Arizona Cancer Center’s Cancer Research: Present and Future Conference in September 2022 on her work on MHC class II in melanoma.

Anngela Adams was awarded the T32 Interdisciplinary Training Position in Cancer Biology from the National Cancer Institute in Fall 2022.

Anngela Adams was selected to give a poster presentation at the Society for Investigative Dermatology annual meeting in May 2022 on her work on T cell responses to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Anne Macy was selected to give a poster presentation at the American Association of Immunologists annual meeting in May 2022 on her work on GILT and MHC class II in melanoma.

Anngela Adams was awarded the Medical Student Grant Targeting Melanoma and Skin Cancer from the American Skin Association in April 2022. 

Dr. Karen Hastings was invited to give a seminar on biomarker development in melanoma at the SWOG Spring Group Meeting in April 2022.

Elizabeth Borden received the Training Oncology Physician Scientists Award from the University of Arizona Cancer Center in February 2022.

2021 News

Elizabeth Borden was selected as one of six trainees to receive the American Association of Immunologists Thermo Fisher Trainee Achievement Award in May 2021.

Elizabeth Borden was selected to give an oral presentation at the American Association of Immunologists annual meeting in May 2021 on her work in MHC class I neoantigen prediction.

Anngela Adams was selected to give an oral presentation at the Society for Investigative Dermatology annual meeting in May 2021 on her work in a mouse model of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. She was also awarded a Meeting Registration Grant.

Anngela Adams was selected to give an oral presentation at the Experimental Biology annual meeting in April 2021 on her work investigating GILT in human metastatic melanoma. She was also awarded a Histochemical Society Trainee Award. 

Anne Macy gave an oral presentation on the role of GILT and MHC class II in melanoma cells on regulating the anti-tumor immune response at the 16th Annual Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium in March 2021.

Elizabeth Borden was awarded the Medical Student Award from the Melanoma Research Foundation in 2021. This award provides funding for her project on the evolution of the neoantigen landscape through melanoma progression.

2020 News

Anngela Adams and Elizabeth Borden presented posters at the American Physician Scientists Association Western Regional Meeting in December 2020.

Anngela Adams was awarded the Histochemical Society Cornerstone Grant for medical and graduate student trainees. This award provides funding for her project on the association of GILT protein expression in melanoma cells with clinical outcome in metastatic melanoma patients. 

Anngela Adams gave an oral presentation on the development of a clinically relevant cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma mouse model at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology in May 2020. 

Anngela Adams was selected to attend the Future Leaders Retreat at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology in May 2020.

Anne Macy presented a poster on the characterization of GILT and MHC class II in murine melanoma cell lines at the 15th Annual Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium, Tucson, AZ in March 2020.

Lulu Bi completed her Senior Research Project for Basis Scottsdale High School in the Hastings lab, during the spring of 2020. She was accepted into Brown University and will start classes in Fall 2020.

2019 News

Lulu Bi completed the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix Basic Medical Sciences High School Internship in the Hastings Lab, during the summer of 2019. 

2018 News

Lydia Meador presented posters on GILT in thymic development and GILT in melanoma at the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Austin, TX in May 2018.

Lydia Meador gave an invited seminar in the Cancer Biology Seminar Series at the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson in April 2018. 

Stefani Gjorcheska presented a poster at the 25th Annual Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium at Arizona State University in April 2018.

Lydia Meador gave an oral presentation on inflammation inducing GILT expression in melanoma at the 13th Annual Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium, Tucson, AZ in March 2018.

Lydia Meador was awarded a Valley Research Partnership grant to support her research in January 2018.

2017 News

Hari Menon presented a poster at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology in Portland, OR in April 2017.

Ken Johnson presented a poster at the 12th Annual Frontiers in Immunobiology and Immunopathogenesis Symposium, Tucson in March 2017.