Prof. Dr. Michel Sadelain

Institutions/Affiliations (Award Year):

  • Herbert and Florence Irving Professor of Medicine
  • Director of the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET), Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  • Director of the Cancer Cell Therapy Initiative in the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC), Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Scientific Award Field:

  • CAR-T cell therapy

Impact Pioneered second‑generation CAR-T cells with built‑in co‑stimulation, making this therapy more powerful, longer‑lasting and safer for patients.

Prof. Dr. Michel Sadelain

Prof. Dr. Michel Sadelain is regarded as one of the key architects of modern CAR-T cell therapy. Building on his pioneering work in engineering second‑generation CAR-T cells that combine activation and co‑stimulatory signals, he helped turn a bold experimental concept into effective treatments for patients with otherwise untreatable blood cancers, enabling deep and often long‑lasting remissions. Today, he leads cutting‑edge cell‑engineering research at Columbia University in New York, where he continues to refine and expand CAR-T cell therapies with the goal of making them more potent, more durable, and accessible to a broader range of patients.

In recognition of his transformative impact, he was honored as one of the 2025 Broermann Medical Innovation Award Laureates.

Scientific Contribution: The CAR-T Revolution

The impact of this research became evident in 2017 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first CAR-T therapies for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia and specific types of lymphoma. These approvals marked the introduction of the first genetically engineered cell therapies and opened the door to an entirely new category of cancer treatments. Since then, CAR-T therapies have been expanded to treat additional blood cancers, including multiple myeloma.

Their research also explores the potential of engineered T-cell therapies for diseases beyond oncology and seeks innovative ways to make these life-saving treatments more accessible worldwide.

Milestones

2025: Broermann Medical Innovation Prize Laureate

Honored for pioneering CAR T‑cell therapies that reprogram patients’ own immune cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells, transforming previously incurable blood cancers into treatable conditions.

2024: Opening a new chapter at Columbia

Launched the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy (CICET) and became director of the Cancer Cell Therapy Initiative at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center.

2007: Building the Foundation for CAR-T Therapy

Founded the Center for Cell Engineering at Memorial Sloan Kettering, creating a pioneering hub for the development and clinical translation of engineered cell therapies.

Late 1990s – early 2000s: Engeneering more powerful CAR T cells

Pioneered the design of CARs that combined CD3 with co‑stimulatory domains such as CD28, laying the groundwork for second‑generation CAR T cells with improved activation, persistence, and antitumor activity.

1994: Driving innovation forward

Joined Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he began to build programs in hematopoietic stem cell and T‑cell engineering

1989-1994: Specialization in Immunology

Completed his postdoctoral training at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

1989: The Foundation for a career in life-saving research

Earned his PhD at the University of Alberta, Canada, and fully immersed himself in immunology research.

1984: The beginning of an academic career

Earned his MD from the University of Paris, France.

Key Publications

Journal: Nature (2002)

Impact: Showed for the first time that engineered T cells can specifically recognize, multiply in response to, and effectively attack cancer cells, laying a key foundation for modern CAR‑T therapy.

Journal: Nature (2003)

Impact: Demonstrated that these engineered T cells can survive, expand, and completely clear widespread blood cancers in preclinical models, paving the way for their use in patients.

Journal: Science (2013)

Impact: Provided the first clear proof that CD19 CAR‑T cells can induce complete remission in adults with leukemia who had no other treatment options.

Journal: Nature (2017)

Impact: Showed that using CRISPR to insert the CAR precisely into the T‑cell genome makes the cells more effective, longer‑lasting, and better controlled.

Journal: The New England Journal of Medicine (2018)

Impact: Confirmed that CD19 CAR‑T therapy can lead to long‑term survival in adults with relapsed leukemia and that treating patients with a lower disease burden improves outcomes and reduces severe side effects.

Selected Honors & Recognition

  • Broermann Medical Innovation Prize (2025)

    Awarded for his transformative impact on medical innovation and his visionary contributions to the future of oncology.

  • King Faisal Prize in Medicine (2025)

    An international award honoring outstanding, impactful contributions to medical science that improve understanding, diagnosis, or treatment of major diseases.

  • Warren Alpert Foundation Prize (2024)

    Adminitered in affiliation with Harvard Medical School, awarded for landmark translational research that directly led to the prevention, cure, or treatment of human disease.

  • Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2024)

    Recognized with the preeminent global honor for scientific achievement for his pioneering role in developing CAR-T cell therapy.

  • Canada Gairdner International Award (2024)

    A leading international biomedical research prize, awarded for fundamental scientific contributions that have significantly advanced human health.

  • VinFuture Prize (2024)

    One of the world’s most distinguished science awards recognizes his role in developing a transformative cancer treatment that has benefited patients around the globe.

  • Passano Foundation Award (2018)

    Awarded for the landmark research that led to the first ever FDA approval for a gene-based cancer therapy.

  • Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Tumor Immunology (2012)

    First major international recognition of his pioneering contributions to CAR-T cell therapy, marking the beginning of a series of prestigious awards honoring a breakthrough that transformed cancer treatment.

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