Researcher Spotlight: Seda Tolu, MD

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York

Dr. Tolu earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed a residency in hematology and oncology at Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University & NY Presbyterian Hospital. It was during this time when she developed an interest in lymphoma research, drawn in by the diversity of the disease and the many ways it can present. As she worked with lymphoma patients, she was particularly drawn to those with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). “It is often difficult to treat because it tends to come back after therapy, requiring patients to undergo many different treatments over time,” she explains. “I witnessed firsthand how profoundly debilitating this disease can become in the relapsed/refractory setting, with significant impacts on quality of life and few effective treatments available. These patient experiences shaped my commitment to this field.”

With the support of the Foundation, Dr. Tolu’s research is aimed at developing a novel treatment approach for patients with CTCL using a combination approach of a JAK inhibitor plus immunotherapy. She hopes that the dual targeting of the drivers of CTCL will help patients achieve longer-lasting control and improve outcomes with treatment. “This project is driven by a desire to move beyond traditional chemotherapy and instead target the underlying biology of disease,” she explains. “I am particularly motivated by the potential to translate biologic insights into treatment strategies that not only improve disease control but meaningfully enhance patients’ daily lives.”