- Professor, Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Dr. James Riley is a Professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and a senior investigator at the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies. He received his BS from Vanderbilt University and his PhD from Emory University, completing postdoctoral training that built the foundation for his career in human T cell engineering.
The Riley laboratory is internationally recognized for its work on engineered T cell therapies, including pioneering development of CAR-T cell approaches for HIV cure strategies as a co-founder of Tmunity Therapeutics. His group continues to advance fundamental and translational T cell biology, with active programs at the interface of infectious disease, cancer immunotherapy, and autoimmunity.
Dr. Riley is a longstanding faculty leader within the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies and a member of the Penn Colton Center for Autoimmunity, where his expertise in adoptive cellular therapy intersects directly with Penn’s growing program in CAR-T for autoimmune disease. He partners broadly with industry to advance translational cell therapy platforms.
