Description of Research Expertise

The focus of our lab’s research is at the intersection of immunology, metabolism, and brain tumor biology. The primary goal of our translational research is to understand mechanisms of immune evasion by primary malignant brain tumors and skull base tumors to generate novel immune-based therapies. We utilize a combination of high-dimensional single cell immune and genomic profiling, metabolomics, and advanced tumor organoid and mouse models, to 1) understand the role of myeloid derived suppressor cells in promoting tumor growth and T cell dysfunction, 2) elucidate the mechanisms of tumor-specific T cell exhaustion and clonal lineage of dysfunction T cells, and 3) understand how metabolic networks control immune cell function within the tumor microenvironment.

Selected Publications

Jackson, C., Cherry, C., Bom, S., Dykema, A. G., Wang, R., Thompson, E., Zhang, M., Li, R., Ji, Z., Hou, W., Zhan, W., Zhang, H., Choi, J., Vaghasia, A., Hansen, L., Wang, W., Bergsneider, B., Jones, K. M., Rodriguez, F., Weingart, J., Lucas, C. H., Powell, J., Elisseeff, J., Yegnasubramanian, S., Lim, M., Bettegowda, C., Ji, H., Pardoll, D.: Distinct myeloid-derived suppressor cell populations in human glioblastoma Science 387 (6731): eabm5214,2025.

Jackson, C., Chongsathidkiet, P., Koyama, S., Loebel, F., Cui, X., Farber, S. H., Woroniecka, K., Elsamadicy, A. A., Dechant, C. A., Kemeny, H. R., Sanchez-Perez, L., Cheema, T. A., Souders, N. C., Herndon, J. E., Coumans, J. V., Everitt, J. I., Nahed, B. V., Sampson, J. H., Gunn, M. D., Martuza, R. L., Dranoff, G., Curry, W. T., Fecci, P. E.: Sequestration of T cells in bone marrow in the setting of glioblastoma and other intracranial tumors Nat Med 24 (9): 1459-1468,2018.

Jackson, C., Tadokoro, K.S., Wang, E.W., Zenonos, G.A., Snyderman, C.H., Gardner, P.A.: Approach selection for resection of petroclival meningioma Neurosurgical Focus: Video 6 (2): 2022.

Jackson, C., Chan, Y.K., Stefko, S.T., Zenonos, G.A., Gardner, P.A.: Lateral orbitotomy for resection for resection of trigeminal schwannoma J Neurol Surg B Skull Base 83 (S01): S1-S270,2022.

Jackson, C., Kong, D.K., Gersey, Z.C., Wang, E.W., Zenonos, G., Snyderman, C.H., Gardner, P.A.: Contact endoscopy as a novel technique for intra-operative identification of normal pituitary gland and adenoma Neurosurgical Focus: Video 6 (1): V17,2022.

Jackson, C., Lim, M.: Bespoke immunotherapy: how close are we? Neuro Oncol 21 (3): 289-290,2019.

Jackson, C., Vo, C., Daniels, M., Chaichana, K.: Clinical Predictors of Tumor Recurrence after Pituitary Adenoma Resection Neuro-Oncology 21 (Supplement_6): vi246-vi247,2019.

Medikonda, R., Choi, J., Pant, A., Saleh, L., Routkevitch, D., Tong, L., Belcaid, Z., Kim, Young H, Jackson, C.M., Jackson, C., Mathios, D., Xia, Y., Shah, P.P, Patel, K., Kim, T., Srivastava, S., Huq, S., Ehresman, J., Pennington, Z., Tyler, B., Brem, H., Lim, M.: Synergy between glutamate modulation and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 immunotherapy for glioblastoma J Neurosurg 136 (2): 378-388,2021.

Jackson, C., Shah, P.P., Saleh, L., Gallia, G., Bettegowda, C., Weingart, J.D., Brem, H., Tamargo, R.J., Lim, M.: Anticoagulation for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis after posterior fossa surgery: worth the risk? American Association of Neurological Surgeons : 2020.

Umberto Tosi, MD, Christina Jackson, MD, Glen D’Souza, MD, Mindy Rabinowitz, MD, Christopher Farrell, MD, Sean Parsel, DO, Vijay K. Anand, MD, Ashutosh Kacker, MD, Abtin Tabaee, MD, George Zenonos, MD, Carl Snyderman, MD, Eric Wang, MD, James Evans, MD, Marc Rosen, MD, Gurston Nyquist, MD, Paul Gardner, MD, and Theodore H. Schwartz, MD: Endoscopic Endonasal repair of encephloceles of the lateral sphenoid sinus: multi-institution confirmation of a new classification J Neurosurg 140 (3): 705-711,2023.

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Academic Contact Information

Department of Neurosurgery
Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
PCAM, 3400 Civic Center Blvd.
15-137, South Tower
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Patient appointments: 800-789-7366