Dante B. Descalzi, Ms, PhD
About Dante B. Descalzi, Ms, PhD
Dante B. Descalzi, Ms, PhD, is a Senior Principal Scientist/Senior Manager at Bristol Myers Squibb, specializing in CAR T Cell Therapy Clinical Development.
Current Role at Bristol Myers Squibb
Dante B. Descalzi serves as a Senior Principal Scientist and Senior Manager in CAR T cell therapy clinical development at Bristol Myers Squibb. In this hybrid role based in Warren, NJ, he is responsible for advancing clinical programs and contributing to the development of innovative CAR T cell therapies. He works under the guidance of Senior Scientific Director, Jaymes Fuller, Ph.D., focusing on enhancing treatment efficacy and patient outcomes in the field of immunotherapy.
Professional Experience at Novartis
Dante B. Descalzi has held multiple roles at Novartis, including Principal Scientist, Senior Expert in CAR T cell therapy for a three-month period in 2022, and Senior Scientist in Immuno-Oncology (I/O) and CAR-T cell immunotherapies from 2019 to 2022. Based in East Hanover, NJ, his work at Novartis involved significant contributions to technical research and development within the CAR-T cell therapy domain, particularly in creating effective treatments for cancer.
Academic and Postdoctoral Training
Dante B. Descalzi completed his academic training at several notable institutions. He achieved his Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Sciences, focusing on Molecular Pathology and Immunology, from Rutgers University in Newark between 2008 and 2014. Prior to that, he earned a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from William Paterson University, and a Bachelor's in Biology from Rutgers University. His early education in Biology began at Bergen Community College. Following his Ph.D., he completed a 3.5-year postdoctoral fellowship at the John Theurer Cancer Center/CDI under Dr. Robert Korngold, where he made significant contributions in stem cell therapy and immunotherapy.
Previous Positions in Research and Development
Before his current tenure at Bristol Myers Squibb, Dante B. Descalzi gained extensive experience in various roles focused on research and development. He worked at the Center for Discovery and Innovation as a Scientist/Postdoctoral Fellow in Immuno-Oncology and Regenerative Medicine from 2016 to 2019. He also held a brief position at Bristol Myers Squibb in 2016 as a Scientist in Immunology R&D. Additionally, he spent two years at Merck Research Laboratories working on infectious disease R&D from 2014 to 2016, and earlier in his career, he worked at Elusys Therapeutics and served as an Associate Scientist at Rutgers University.
Teaching and Mentorship Roles
In addition to his research roles, Dante B. Descalzi has engaged in teaching and mentorship. In 2014, he joined Kean University as an Adjunct Lecturer, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in Immunology and Cell Biology. He is an advocate for the importance of mentorship in the scientific community, believing that having both a mentor and a mentee is essential for professional development. His teaching roles reflect his commitment to educating the next generation of scientists while continuing his own development in the field of cell immunotherapy.