Lucia Jilaveanu, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)DownloadHi-Res Photo
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Medical Oncology and Hematology
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Associate Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology)
Biography
Dr. Jilaveanu conducts laboratory-based clinical/translational research in melanoma focusing on predictive and prognostic biomarkers using a variety of molecular biology techniques and analytical technologies. Dr. Jilaveanu has been involved in numerous correlative studies of novel therapeutic agents for metastatic melanoma. More recently the focus of her research resides in understanding the biology and the mechanisms involved in the development of brain metastasis, uncovering novel mediators of brain metastasis and biomarker discovery for patients with melanoma that has metastasized to the brain.
Last Updated on May 05, 2025.
Appointments
Medical Oncology and Hematology
Associate Professor on TermPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Genomics, Genetics, and Epigenetics
- Internal Medicine
- Medical Oncology and Hematology
- Yale Cancer Center
- Yale Medicine
Education & Training
- Associate Research Scientist
- Yale University School of Medicine (2014)
- Post-Doctoral Fellow
- Yale University, School of Medicine (2011)
- PhD
- Wesleyan University (2007)
- Intern
- Intern, Sf. Pantelimon Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania (2000)
- MD
- Carol Devila University of med. Bucharest Romania (1999)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Medical Oncology; Melanoma; Microarray Analysis; Neoplasm Metastasis
ORCID
0000-0001-8900-5083
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Lucia Jilaveanu's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Lucia Jilaveanu's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Lucia Jilaveanu is interested in exploring.
Harriet Kluger, MD
Veronica Chiang, MD, FAANS
Robert Camp, PhD, MD
David Rimm, MD, PhD
Thuy Tran, MD, PhD
Mario Sznol, MD
65Publications
4,214Citations
Melanoma
Neoplasm Metastasis
Publications
2025
1266 Spatial profiling of melanoma brain metastases exhibit elevated neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) protein expression and associations with immune microenvironment and treatment response
Su D, Gaiger N, Schoenfeld D, Dong M, Djureinovic D, Galan A, Chiang V, Adeniran A, Olino K, Jilaveanu L, Kluger H. 1266 Spatial profiling of melanoma brain metastases exhibit elevated neural cell adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) protein expression and associations with immune microenvironment and treatment response. 2025, a1441-a1443. DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2025-sitc2025.1266.Peer-Reviewed Original Research870 Characterization of GDF-15 expression patterns in renal cell carcinoma
Perales O, Gaiger N, Schwartz S, Ofir Y, Yi I, Jilaveanu L, Adeniran A, Braun D, Kluger H, Schoenfeld D. 870 Characterization of GDF-15 expression patterns in renal cell carcinoma. 2025, a981-a982. DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2025-sitc2025.0870.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchImproving immunotherapy responses by dual inhibition of macrophage migration inhibitory factor and PD-1
Tran T, Sánchez-Zuno G, Osmani L, Caulfield J, Valdez C, Piecychna M, Leng L, Armstrong M, Donnelly S, Bifulco C, Clister T, Kulkarni R, Zhang L, Sznol M, Jilaveanu L, Kluger H, Kang I, Bucala R. Improving immunotherapy responses by dual inhibition of macrophage migration inhibitory factor and PD-1. JCI Insight 2025, 10: e191539. PMID: 41122966, PMCID: PMC12581657, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.191539.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAnti-PD-1Macrophage migration inhibitory factorAnti-MIFMigration inhibitory factorTumor growthTherapeutic efficacyAnti-programmed cell death 1Intratumoral immune cell populationsAssociated with advanced diseaseHigh-expression MIF allelesCell death 1Inhibitory factorTh1 cytokine levelsInhibition of macrophage migration inhibitory factorDual inhibitionMurine tumor modelsColorectal cancer modelImmune cell populationsTumor-bearing animalsClinical trial developmentMultiple cancer typesAntitumor responseDeath-1PD-1Tumor burdenPhase II Trial of Pembrolizumab in Combination With Bevacizumab for Untreated Melanoma Brain Metastases
Weiss S, Djureinovic D, Wei W, Tran T, Austin M, Markowitz J, Eroglu Z, Khushalani N, Hegde U, Cohen J, Sznol M, Anderson G, Johnson B, Piteo C, Mahajan A, Adeniran A, Jilaveanu L, Goldberg S, Chiang V, Forsyth P, Kluger H. Phase II Trial of Pembrolizumab in Combination With Bevacizumab for Untreated Melanoma Brain Metastases. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2025, 43: 1685-1694. PMID: 40048689, PMCID: PMC12058415, DOI: 10.1200/jco-24-02219.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsMelanoma brain metastasesOverall survivalBrain metastasesAnti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapyMedian intracranial progression-free survivalFour-year OS ratesIntracranial progression-free survivalResponse rateCirculating angiopoietin-2Median overall survivalTrial of pembrolizumabYears of pembrolizumabDose of bevacizumabProgression-free survivalPhase II trialGrowth factor therapyAdverse event ratesAssociated with responseOS ratesPD-1Radiation necrosisLocal therapyOn-therapyMetastatic tumorsFactor therapy
2024
Decoy-resistant IL-18 reshapes the tumor microenvironment and enhances rejection by anti-CTLA-4 in renal cell carcinoma
Schoenfeld D, Djureinovic D, Su D, Zhang L, Lu B, Kamga L, Mann J, Huck J, Hurwitz M, Braun D, Jilaveanu L, Ring A, Kluger H. Decoy-resistant IL-18 reshapes the tumor microenvironment and enhances rejection by anti-CTLA-4 in renal cell carcinoma. JCI Insight 2024, 10: e184545. PMID: 39561007, PMCID: PMC11721305, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.184545.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsAnti-CTLA-4Renal cell carcinomaIL-18IL-18BPCell carcinomaTumor microenvironmentTumor typesPatients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitorsRegulatory T cell levelsAnti-PD-1 treatmentCD8+ T cellsAnti-PD-1Immune checkpoint inhibitorsCell renal cell carcinomaNon-responder patientsMyeloid cell populationsT cell levelsCytokine interleukin-18Anti-cancer efficacySecreted binding proteinCheckpoint inhibitorsResponding patientsPreclinical modelsT cellsMurine modelMetFinder: A Tool for Automated Quantitation of Metastatic Burden in Histological Sections From Preclinical Models
Karz A, Coudray N, Bayraktar E, Galbraith K, Jour G, Shadaloey A, Eskow N, Rubanov A, Navarro M, Moubarak R, Baptiste G, Levinson G, Mezzano V, Alu M, Loomis C, Lima D, Rubens A, Jilaveanu L, Tsirigos A, Hernando E. MetFinder: A Tool for Automated Quantitation of Metastatic Burden in Histological Sections From Preclinical Models. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research 2024, 38: e13195. PMID: 39254030, PMCID: PMC11948878, DOI: 10.1111/pcmr.13195.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsTumor contentMetastasis burdenMetastatic burdenTumor burdenMelanoma metastasesPreclinical modelsMurine modelPreclinical studiesMeasurable metastasesMelanoma researchTherapeutic approachesDeep neural networksHistopathological sectionsMechanisms of melanoma metastasisMetastasisHistological sectionsAI-based algorithmsAutomated quantificationWhole slide imagesAutomated quantitationNeural networkTIGIT expression in renal cell carcinoma infiltrating T cells is variable and inversely correlated with PD-1 and LAG3
Perales O, Jilaveanu L, Adeniran A, Su D, Hurwitz M, Braun D, Kluger H, Schoenfeld D. TIGIT expression in renal cell carcinoma infiltrating T cells is variable and inversely correlated with PD-1 and LAG3. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 2024, 73: 192. PMID: 39105820, PMCID: PMC11303630, DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03773-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRenal cell carcinomaRenal cell carcinoma tumorsT cellsTIGIT expressionCheckpoint inhibitorsPD-1Likelihood of response to therapyTumor-infiltrating T cellsCD3+ T cellsRenal cell carcinoma metastasisTreatment of renal cell carcinomaImmune checkpoint inhibitorsInfiltrating T cellsPurposeImmune checkpoint inhibitorsResponse to therapyT cell immunoglobulinCD3+ levelsMetastatic RCC specimensAdjacent normal renal tissuesNormal renal tissuesQuantitative immunofluorescence analysisCell carcinomaResistant diseasePotential therapeutic targetTissue microarrayGP100 expression is variable in intensity in melanoma
Mann J, Hasson N, Su D, Adeniran A, Smalley K, Djureinovic D, Jilaveanu L, Schoenfeld D, Kluger H. GP100 expression is variable in intensity in melanoma. Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy 2024, 73: 191. PMID: 39105816, PMCID: PMC11303354, DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03776-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsGp100 expressionCutaneous melanomaTreatment of cutaneous melanomaAdvanced cutaneous melanomaT-cell engagersImprove patient selectionMetastatic melanomaUveal melanomaMetastatic samplesPatient selectionClinical trialsMelanomaQuantitative immunofluorescence methodGp100Improve outcomesImmunofluorescence methodTherapeutic intentDrugCellular productsExpressionTebentafuspImmunohistochemistryMelanocortin-1 Receptor Expression as a Marker of Progression in Melanoma
Su D, Djureinovic D, Schoenfeld D, Marquez-Nostra B, Olino K, Jilaveanu L, Kluger H. Melanocortin-1 Receptor Expression as a Marker of Progression in Melanoma. JCO Precision Oncology 2024, 8: e2300702. PMID: 38662983, PMCID: PMC11513442, DOI: 10.1200/po.23.00702.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMC1R expressionMelanoma progressionAssociated with shorter survivalStages of melanoma progressionCases of benign neviChronic sun exposureMarkers of progressionHuman melanoma tissuesBreslow thicknessMelanocortin-1Metastatic melanomaOverall survivalPrimary melanomaMetastatic tumorsMelanoma cohortReceptor expressionPredictive biomarkersAggressive melanomaPrimary lesionTissue microarrayShorter survivalMale sexQuantitative immunofluorescenceBenign neviClinical trialsVascular mimicry as a facilitator of melanoma brain metastasis
Provance O, Oria V, Tran T, Caulfield J, Zito C, Aguirre-Ducler A, Schalper K, Kluger H, Jilaveanu L. Vascular mimicry as a facilitator of melanoma brain metastasis. Cellular And Molecular Life Sciences 2024, 81: 188. PMID: 38635031, PMCID: PMC11026261, DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05217-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsVascular mimicryBrain metastasesMouse model of metastatic melanomaIncreased risk of metastasisAssociated with tumor volumeMelanoma brain metastasesRisk of metastasisSurvival of miceFuture treatment regimensCell line modelsTumor suppressor pathwayMetastatic melanomaTumor volumeSolid tumorsTreatment regimensTumor typesPoor prognosisHippo tumor suppressor pathwayIncreased riskMouse modelDownstream targets YAPMelanomaMetastasisSuppressor pathwayTumor
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