Specializing In:
- Glioblastoma
- Sarcoma
- Ovarian cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Breast cancer
Research Interests:
- Neuro-immuno oncology
- Functional genomics
- Pharmacogenomics
- Biomarker discovery
- B cells
- Cancer vaccines
Biography
I am a Research Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, where I apply computational, genomic, and translational approaches to understand therapeutic response and resistance in cancer. My training and experience spans systems biology, functional genomics, and pharmacogenomics, including directing genome-wide CRISPR/RNAi and high-throughput drug screening efforts during my time as Director of Genomics at Veronomics and later as Associate Director of Roswell Park’s Drug Discovery Core.
My research focuses on biomarker discovery, immuno-oncology, and mechanisms of therapeutic efficacy, with current work centered on intratumoral B cell biology in glioblastoma and genomic predictors of response in ovarian, breast, and fusion-driven sarcomas. I serve as lead bioinformatician on multiple clinical trials, including studies evaluating SurVaxM vaccination in glioblastoma and modulation of T-cell memory formation in solid tumors. I am also an active collaborator in several national Cancer Moonshot networks, including the Acquired Resistance to Therapy Network and the Cancer Prevention–Interception Targeted Agent Discovery Program.
Positions
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Research Assistant Professor of Oncology
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics
Background
Education and Training
- 2011-2018 - PhD - Cancer Biology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Roswell Park Division, Buffalo, NY
- 2009-2011 - MS - Integrated Systems Biology, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- 2009-2011 - MS - Natural Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Roswell Park Division, Buffalo, NY
- 2003-2007 - BScH - Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON
Professional Memberships
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
Professional Experience
- 2022-2025 - Associate Director, Drug Discovery Core Shared Resource, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
- 2022-2025 - Scientist, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo NY
- 2021-2022 - Postdoctoral Research Affiliate, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
- 2018-2021 - Director of Genomics, Veronomics Inc., Buffalo, NY
- 2018 - Postdoctoral Research Affiliate, Department of Cancer Genetics and Genomics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
Publications
Withers, H.G.*; S.A. Figel*, J. Qiu, M.S. Ahluwalia, D.A. Reardon, A.P. Abad, W.T. Curry, E.T. Wong, D.M. Peereboom, A. Dhawan, S. Liu, M.J. Ciesielski, and R.A. Fenstermaker. 2025. Intratumoral B cell and interferon signatures in newly diagnosed glioblastoma are associated with longer survival in patients treated with SurVaxM. Cancer Immunol Immun 74: 332. DOI: 10.1007/s00262-025-04193-y *Equal contribution.
Commane, M.; V. Jadhav, K. Leonova, B. Buckley, H.G. Withers‡, and K. Gurova‡. 2025. Quantitative single-cell imaging suggests increased global chromatin accessibility in tumor versus non-tumor cell lines. iScience 113570. DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.113570 ‡Co-corresponding authors.
Withers, H.G.*; J. Matsuzaki*, M.D. Long*, S.R. Rosario*, T. Chodon*, T. Tsuji, R. Koya, L. Yan, J. Wang, T. Keler, S.B. Lele, E. Zsiros, A.A. Lugade, A. Hutson, S. Blank, N. Bhardwaj, P. Shrikant, S. Liu, and K. Odunsi. 2025. mTOR inhibition modulates vaccine-induced immune responses to generate memory T cells in patients with solid tumors. JITC 13: e010408. DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2024-010408 *Equal contribution.
Yamashita, N.*; H.G. Withers*, Y. Morimoto, A. Bhattacharya, N. Haratake, T. Diamon, A. Fushimi, A. Nakashoji, E. Isenhart, S. Rosario, M.D. Long, and D. Kufe. 2023. MUC1-C integrates induction of aerobic glycolysis with suppression of oxidative phosphorylation in cancer stem cells. iScience 26: 108168. DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108168 *Equal contribution.
Ahluwalia, M.S.; D.A. Reardon, A.P. Abad, W.T. Curry, E.T. Wong, S.A. Figel, L.L. Mechtler, D.M. Peereboom, A.D. Hutson, H.G. Withers, S. Liu, A.N. Belal, J. Qiu, K.M. Mogensen, S.S. Dharma, A. Dhawan, M.T. Birkemeier, D.M. Casucci, M.J. Ciesielski, and R.A. Fenstermaker. 2022. Phase IIa study of SurVaxM plus adjuvant temozolomide for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. J Clin Oncol 41: 1453-1465. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.22.00996