Dr. Peter Velázquez is a first-generation graduate who completed a Bachelor of Science with honors in Biology at UC Irvine. He next earned a master’s in biology and biomedical Sciences from Washington University in Saint Louis and Ph.D. from UCLA. After completing post-doctoral fellowship in the lab of Michael L. Dustin at NYU-The Skirball Institute, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and, Head of the Mucosal Immunology lab at Indiana University School of Medicine – South Bend. There, the Velázquez lab was focused on leveraging cutting-edge technologies to gain a deeper understanding of the regulation of T cells and immune response in the gut. As an academic he had a successful fellowship and grant record as well numerous peer-reviewed primary research articles in top-tier publications.  Upon leaving academia, Dr. Velázquez refocused his skills to more directly contribute to the development of immunotherapies to treat cancer and inflammatory disease. He has lead the development of biologics as well as T cell immunotherapies. Such therapies are aimed at treating Melanoma, Multiple Myeloma, Multiple Sclerosis and Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disease. His efforts have resulted in the introduction and advancement of multiple therapies in the clinic. Throughout his career, Dr Velázquez has maintained an involvement in mentorship – in particular, to persons of color and those from socioeconomically disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds. Being an individual from these same demographic groups has enabled a more personalized approach to mentorship.