Joined the NK cellular therapeutics group in 2019 (as a Researcher 6)

Her research interests

Most research on natural killer (NK) cells has studied them in blood, since these cells are comparatively easy to obtain. Dr. Kennedy is interested in how NK cells behave within organs because (it turns out) they behave very differently. This is important to consider when designing  therapies. She started her research career studying NK cell in the uterus during pregnancy, discovering ways in which these cells support the growth of the placenta for a healthy pregnancy. In tumors, NK cells have a very different role. True to their name, NK cells can kill tumor cells and have great therapeutic potential. Within the NK cell therapeutics group, Dr. Kennedy investigates how the challenges of low oxygen and suppressive cells can be overcome by designer NK cells and small molecules in order to better treat cancers, including lung cancer, mesothelioma and colorectal cancer. 

She is an expert in microscopy, with an interest in single-molecule resolution microscopy, live cell imaging, and, more recently, multiplex spatial tissue imaging.

More about her 

Pippa came to the lab from the United Kingdom. She loves Minnesota winters (yes, really!) and is determined to become a fully fledged 'Outdoor Woman' with the help of the Department for Natural Resources. She is a fan of artificial intelligence-generated images of animals in lab coats and is an amateur website builder.