Paul Sondel

Biography

I am the Reed and Carolee Walker Professor of Pediatric Oncology. I grew up in Milwaukee and earned undergraduate and doctoral degrees in genetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison with guidance from bone marrow transplant pioneer Dr. Fritz Bach. I received my medical degree magna cum laude in 1977 from Harvard Medical School, where I began my research in tumor immunology. Following pediatric residencies in at the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin, I joined the UW faculty in 1980 in the Departments of Pediatrics, Human Oncology and Genetics.

The Sondel Laboratory pursues basic, preclinical and clinical cancer immunotherapy research. Our preclinical focus uses anti-tumor antibodies, combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other immunotherapies to induce both innate and adaptive anti-tumor efficacy. Our clinical focus has taken these concepts to current treatment regimens for high risk neuroblastoma, where anti-GD2 based immunotherapy we helped develop is now the standard of care for newly diagnosed patients and as salvage therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory disease.

I have helped lead scientific policy through multiple leadership and advisory roles at the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society, the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the National Cancer Institute and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.