Our laboratory studies immunity and inflammation in the context of developing and established cancers. These research interests involve the investigation of immune regulation in cancer and strategies to modulate innate and adaptive immunity against tumors. In these efforts, we principally explore the use of immunotherapeutic modulators against cancer and the development of vaccines and antibodies to specific oncogenic targets. Our laboratory also investigates the regulation of inflammation and immunity in cancer, as well as their impact on the genesis of cancer and its metastasis to different organ sites. The major translational focus of the Hartman laboratory is in uncovering strategies to modulate tumor-derived inflammation and stimulate tumor-specific immunity that will translate into clinically efficacious therapies in patients.

• Pre-clinical and clinical vaccine studies against tumor driver and resistance genes
• Investigations of the mechanisms involved in antibody-mediated immunity of cancer
• Development of improved tumor vaccine strategies
• Local modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment
• Discovery and modulation of different types of inflammation

The Hartman lab is part of the Department of Surgery’s Division of Surgical Sciences and affiliated with the Center for Applied Therapeutics and the DCI Center for Immunotherapy. We have a secondary affiliation with the Department of Pathology and are also members of the Department of Pathology Graduate Training Program, the Viral Oncology Training Program (T32), the Surgical Oncology Training Program (T32), as well as the Duke Cancer Institute.

Selected Achievements

• Tracking How a Breast Cancer Drug Works Points to a Possible New Therapy
• New Duke Vaccine 'Works Beautifully' Against Breast Cancer
• Cell Microsystems to Expand Portfolio of Applications into Antibody Discovery and Organoid Cultures
• Duke Researchers Test Vaccine to Treat Breast Cancer
• How Duke Research Could Benefit Breast Cancer Treatments
• Dr. Zachary Hartman Receives NIH Funding for Novel Cancer Therapy

Advanced Training

The Hartman lab is currently looking for interested students and post-doctoral fellows to train in cancer immunotherapy. Interested applicants should e-mail Zachary.hartman@duke.edu.

• Postdoctoral Associate - Applied Therapeutics

Contact Us

If interested in collaborations, employment, or reagents, please feel free to contact Dr. Hartman.

• H. Kim Lyerly, MD
• Joshua C. Snyder, PhD
• Erika Crosby, PhD
• Jeremy M. Force, DO
• Michael A. Morse, MD
• Dawn E. Bowles, PhD
• Justin J. Pollara, PhD

Current Trainees/Staff

• Li-Chung Tsao, PhD
• Timothy Trotter, PhD
• Bin-Jin Hwang, PhD
• Jun-Ping Wei, MD
• Gang-jun Lei
• Xiao-Yi Yang, MD
• Christopher Rabiola
• Delila Serra
• Amanda Summers
• Tao Wang
• RD Marek