Hind Rafei
Assistant Professor
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center at Houston
Department of Stem Cell Transplant & Cellular Therapy
I am an Assistant Professor of Medicine and physician-scientist in the department of Hematopoietic Biology and Malignancy at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where I lead a research program focused on overcoming immunosuppressive barriers in the tumor microenvironment (TME) to advance adoptive cell therapies for cancer. I have developed expertise in both T and NK cell therapies. My research program is uniquely centered on dissecting the interplay between epigenetics and metabolism and how these axes dictate immune cell fate and function, with the goal of modulating them to enhance the efficacy of cellular therapies, particularly CAR-T cells for solid tumors. My work has led to multiple high-impact publications, including a first-author paper in Nature (2025) identifying the transcription factor cAMP response element modulator (CREM) as a critical checkpoint of CD3ζ and cytokine signaling in CAR-engineered NK cells. My program has been supported through numerous competitive awards, including from ASCO, NIH, CPRIT, DoD, all centered on advancing cellular therapies for refractory tumors. My research leverages my team’s expertise in CAR and CRISPR engineering, lymphocyte biology, and metabolic and epigenetic remodeling, all supported by strong translational infrastructure and a sustained record of innovation and funding.
Education & Training
MD - American University of Beirut - 2014
MS - The University of Texas MD Anderson Center -UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences - 2021