2ⁿᵈ Edition of the Cancer R&D World Conference 2026

Biography

Ismahène Benzaid a Doctor of Philosophy in Cancer Immunotherapy with  over 16 years’ experience in preclinical oncology research by managing different projects and supporting  biotech companies and pharmaceutical laboratories in the development of new cancer therapies.  Highly skilled at communication with exceptional enthusiasm of working successfully as part of a dynamic team to advance cancer therapy knowledge.

I’ve been working at Oncodesign since 2019. I started as a Study Director, and for the past year, I’ve been the Head of the Study and Research Unit. In this role, I manage the team and oversee our research activities and studies.

Prior to my PhD, I trained as an engineer, receiving a degree in Gene Biology from the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene, in Algiers. In 2004, I moved to Lyon, France, to pursue my Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University Claude Bernard (Lyon I), which marked my transition to research. The following year, I began my PhD work at INSERM 1033 in Lyon, France, studying bisphosphonate drugs and their effect to modulate the immune system and their effects on Vγ9Vδ2 T cells as a new modality of cancer immunotherapy. I obtained 3 years grant from Novartis Pharma to pursue my project. I obtained my PhD in 2009 from the University Claude Bernard.

I have worked as postdoctoral position for five years at INSERM (France) and then at Moffitt Cancer Center research (Tampa, Florida) to improve the efficacy and therapeutic effect of Vγ9Vδ2 T cell and Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy in the solid tumor setting. My research involved immunotherapies in lung, prostate and breast cancer, the use of Gamma/Delta CAR-T cells, and the trafficking and tumor homing properties of CAR T cells.