Nelson Knudsen PhD

Nelson Knudsen is a Research Scientist at the MGH Cancer Center and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where he focuses on developing next-generation cell therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers, particularly solid tumors. His research integrates functional genomics, synthetic biology, and advanced next-generation sequencing technologies to engineer and reprogram T cells into novel therapeutic states with enhanced anti-tumor potential.

Knudsen’s work centers on leveraging pre-clinical models of human disease to evaluate innovative immunotherapy strategies and uncover mechanisms that can improve the safety, efficacy, and durability of engineered cell therapies. His scientific approach combines systems-level genomic analysis with translational bioengineering to advance new therapeutic platforms in cancer immunotherapy.

Before his work in cell therapy, Knudsen conducted research in obesity, metabolic disease, and exercise physiology. He earned his Ph.D. in the Department of Molecular Metabolism at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, where he developed a strong foundation in metabolism, physiology, and molecular biology that continues to inform his interdisciplinary research approach.