Ivan Cohen, PhD, is a Research Associate in the laboratory of Dr. Marco Ruella at the University of Pennsylvania, where he leads efforts to develop next-generation precision CAR T cell therapies for autoimmune diseases and hematologic malignancies. His research focuses on engineering B cell receptor-directed cellular immunotherapies that selectively eliminate malignant and self-reactive B cell populations while sparing healthy B cells and preserving humoral immunity. His current work centers on the development of IGHV-targeted CAR T cell platforms for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP), with the goal of translating highly selective, mechanism-based cell therapies into the clinic.