Antoni Ribas, MD
THE CARNEGIE CORPORATION of New York named University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Professor Antoni Ribas, MD, an honoree as part of its Great Immigrants Initiative, a program honoring a selected group of naturalized citizens who have made notable contributions to the progress of American society. Launched in 2006, the Great Immigrants Initiative has honored more than 500 exemplary naturalized U.S. citizens.
Dr. Ribas is Director of the Tumor Immunology Program at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA. He grew up in Barcelona, where he attended medical school and completed his residency before coming to UCLA. More than 20 years later, the physician-scientist has made UCLA his second home and has helped led the development of new therapies for malignant melanoma, for which few effective therapies exist.
Research and Other Roles
HIS RESEARCH focuses on understanding how the immune system can be effectively used to fight cancer in order to develop more effective and less toxic therapies for people with cancer. Focusing on unleashing an immune response to cancer, his laboratory research has demonstrated significant advancements in the treatment of melanoma and he continues to develop new immunotherapies for this disease.
Dr. Ribas is also the Director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy Center at UCLA, which brings together the nation’s leading cancer centers to maximize the potential of cancer immunotherapy research by building strong collaborations between researchers, nonprofits and the industry, who are all working together to get new treatments to patients faster. ■
