Specializing In:
- Cancer immunometabolism
- Tumor–immune metabolic interactions
- Host metabolism and anti-tumor immunity
- Metabolic regulation of cancer immunotherapy
Research Interests:
- Pentose phosphate pathway and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) in cancer immunity
- Brown adipose tissue and systemic regulation of tumor immunity
- Metabolic regulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and macrophages
- T-cell metabolism in cancer and hematopoietic cell transplantation
- Translational targeting of tumor, immune and host metabolism
Biography
I am an Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Department of Immunology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. My research focuses on understanding how cellular and systemic metabolism regulate anti-tumor immunity, tumor progression, and response to cancer therapy.
I received my PhD in Immunology from Tarbiat Modares University, where my research focused on mechanisms of immune regulation and tumor immunology. I subsequently completed postdoctoral training at Northwestern University, Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. During this training, I developed expertise spanning transplantation immunology, tumor immunology, metabolomics, and cancer immunometabolism.
My research has identified metabolic pathways that regulate T-cell and myeloid-cell function, with particular emphasis on the pentose phosphate pathway and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD). My work has demonstrated that targeting key metabolic checkpoints can influence anti-tumor immunity, immune suppression, response to immunotherapy, and graft-versus-host disease.
In 2026, I joined the faculty of the Department of Immunology at Roswell Park, where I established an independent research program focused on host-tumor immunometabolism. My laboratory investigates how metabolism within tumor cells, immune cells, and systemic metabolic tissues cooperatively shapes cancer immunity, with the goal of identifying targetable metabolic pathways to improve cancer therapy.
Positions
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Assistant Professor of Oncology
- Department of Immunology
Background
Education and Training
- 2008-2014 - PhD - Immunology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Fellowship
- 2021-2025 - Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY
- 2020-2021 - Metabolomics Research Training, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
- 2017-2020 - Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School/Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
- 2015-2017 - Postdoctoral Fellow, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
Professional Memberships
- Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC)
- American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)
- American Society of Hematology (ASH)
- American Association of Immunologists (AAI)
Honors & Awards
- 2026 - Early Career Research Scholar Award, Roswell Park Alliance Foundation
- 2026 - Basic/Translational Research Junior Faculty Scholar Award, American Society of Hematology
- 2026 - Abstract and Oral Presentation Award, Roswell Park Immunology Retreat
- 2025 - Best Oral Presentation Award, Roswell Park Immunology Retreat
- 2025 - TRCCC/SITC Sponsored Trainee Spotlight Oral Presentation selection
- 2024 - American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Trainee Abstract Award,
- 2024 - TRCCC/SITC Sponsored Trainee Spotlight Oral Presentation Award
- 2024 - Best Oral Presentation Award, Roswell Park Postdoctoral Symposium
- 2021 - Cancers Best Paper Award
Publications
1. Daneshmandi S, Yan Q, Gomez EC, Choi JE, Katsuta E, Gharib E, Singh PK, Higashi RM, Lane AN, Fan TWM, Repasky EA, Wang J, McCarthy PL, Mohammadpour H. 6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase promotes mitochondrial fusion and immune suppression in tumor-associated monocytic suppressor cells. Nature Communications. 2026 Jan 14;17(1):229. PMID: 41535266. Co-corresponding Author.
2. Daneshmandi S, Ko E, Yan Q, Choi JE, Singh PK, Higashi RM, Lane AN, Fan TWM, Qiu J, Hani S, Hippen KL, Wang J, McCarthy PL, Blazar BR, Mohammadpour H. Targeting the pentose phosphate pathway mitigates graft-versus-host disease by rewiring alloreactive T cell metabolism. JCI Insight. 2025 Dec 8;10(23):e192774. PMID: 41355795.
3. Daneshmandi S, Choi JE, Yan Q, MacDonald CR, Pandey M, Goruganthu M, Roberts N, Singh PK, Higashi RM, Lane AN, Fan TWM, Wang J, McCarthy PL, Repasky EA, Mohammadpour H. Myeloid-derived suppressor cell mitochondrial fitness governs chemotherapeutic efficacy in hematologic malignancies. Nature Communications 2024;15: 2803. PMID: 38555305.
4. Daneshmandi S, Yan Q, Choi JE, Katsuta E, MacDonald CR, Goruganthu M, Roberts N, Repasky EA, Singh PK, Attwood K, Wang J, Landesman Y, McCarthy PL, Mohammadpour H. Exportin 1 governs the immunosuppressive functions of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in tumors through ERK1/2 nuclear export. Cellular & Molecular Immunology. 2024 Jun 20. doi: 10.1038/s41423-024-01187-1. PMID: 38902348.
5. Daneshmandi S, Cassel T, Lin P, Higashi RM, Wulf GM, Boussiotis VA, Fan TW, Seth P. Blockade of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase generates CD8+ effector T cells with enhanced anti-tumor function. Cell Reports. 2021 Mar 9;34(10):108831. PMID: 33691103.