PHILADELPHIA — (February 28, 2025) —The Wistar Institute welcomes its newest faculty member, Colby Maldini, Ph.D., who joins Wistar’s HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center as a Caspar Wistar Fellow.
Dr. Maldini comes to Wistar with expertise in applying genome engineering technologies to develop chimeric antigen receptor T cells, more commonly known as CAR T cells: immune cells that scientists engineer to express certain proteins so that they can target specific threats, like cancer and viruses. As a member of the Caspar Wistar Fellows Program, which places young researchers on the fast track for faculty promotion, Dr. Maldini will receive support from the Institute to expand his laboratory and work toward building a mature research program.
“The HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center is very pleased to welcome Dr. Maldini as our first external faculty recruit, which marks the beginning of an exciting expansion of an ambitious research program to seek a cure for HIV and other viral challenges,” said Luis Montaner, D.V.M., D.Phil., Wistar executive vice president, director of the HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center, and Herbert Kean, M.D., Family Professor. “The Caspar Wistar Fellows Program has an outstanding track record of helping promising young researchers establish successful laboratories, and it is our pleasure to extend this opportunity to Dr. Maldini.”
At Wistar’s newly established Maldini lab, Dr. Maldini will continue and expand his work on CAR T cells’ role in cure approaches for HIV and other yet-to-be-cured viral infections. With backgrounds in both academic research and industrial research & development, Dr. Maldini offers Wistar his keen eye for engineering potential therapies for eventual use in clinical applications.
“The Wistar Institute has a well-deserved reputation of research excellence, so naturally, I consider it a great opportunity to join the ranks of such esteemed faculty,” said Dr. Maldini. “I look forward to the chance to work with and learn from Wistar’s countless experts. With the resources of Wistar’s famed culture of collaboration and the support of the Caspar Wistar Fellows Program, I’m excited about what we will achieve together.”
ABOUT THE WISTAR INSTITUTE:
The Wistar Institute is the nation’s first independent nonprofit institution devoted exclusively to foundational biomedical research and training. Since 1972, the Institute has held National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Center status. Through a culture and commitment to biomedical collaboration and innovation, Wistar science leads to breakthrough early-stage discoveries and life science sector start-ups. Wistar scientists are dedicated to solving some of the world’s most challenging problems in the field of cancer and immunology, advancing human health through early-stage discovery and training the next generation of biomedical researchers. wistar.org
