Daniel Olson

Present Title & Affiliation

• Assistant Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology & Oncology, The University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
• Associate Program Director, Developmental Therapeutics
• Clinical Co-Lead, Melanoma Program
• Clinical Lead, Sarcoma Program
• Member, University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center

Scholarship & Academic Contributions

Peer-Reviewed Publications (exclusive of abstracts)

1. Martin MA, Olson DJ, Mosnaim G, Ortega D, Rothschild SK. Recruitment, asthma characteristics, and medication behaviors in Midwestern Puerto Rican youth: data from Project CURA. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol.2012;109(2):121–127. PMID: 22840253
2. Martin MA, Mosnaim GS, Olson DJ, Swider S, Karavolos K, Rothschild S. Results from a community-based trial testing a community health worker asthma intervention in Puerto Rican youth in Chicago. J Asthma.2015;52(1):59–70. PMID: 25162304
3. Luke JJ*, Olson DJ*, Allred JB, et al. Randomized Phase II Trial and Tumor Mutational Spectrum Analysis from Cabozantinib versus Chemotherapy in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma (Alliance A091201). Clin Cancer Res. 2019. PMID: 31558480 (Co-first authors)
4. Bao R, Surriga O, Olson DJ, et al. Transcriptional analysis of metastatic uveal melanoma survival nominates NRP1 as a therapeutic target. Melanoma Res. 2020. PMID: 33170593
5. Vining CC, Hsu PJ, Miller A, Olson DJ, Gajewski TF, Pytel P, Bauer B, Millis MJ, Roggin KK. Retrocaval Melanotic Schwannoma: A Case Report of Novel Response to Anti–PD-1 Therapy. Melanoma Res. 2021. PMID: 33323721
6. Marron T, et al. (including Olson DJ). Considerations for treatment duration in responders to immune checkpoint inhibitors. J Immunother Cancer. 2021;0:e001901. PMID: 33653801
7. Olson DJ, Eroglu Z, Brockstein B, et al. Pembrolizumab plus ipilimumab following Anti–PD-1/L1 failure in melanoma. J Clin Oncol. 2021; JCO2100079. PMID: 33945288
8. Reschke R, Shapiro J, Yu J, Rouhani S, Olson DJ, Zha Y, Gajewski TF. Checkpoint blockade–induced dermatitis and colitis are dominated by tissue-resident memory T cells and Th1/Tc1 cytokines. Cancer Immunol Res.2022;10(10):1167–1174. PMID: 35977003
9. Hammad A, Ahmed O, Connell P, Olson DJ, Balach T. Team Approach: Management of Pathologic Fractures.JBJS Rev. 2023;11(1):e22.00166. PMID: 36722819
10. Mathias K, Rouhani S, Olson DJ, Bass A, Gajewski T, Reid P. Association between rheumatic autoantibodies and immune-related adverse events. The Oncologist. 2023. PMID: 36595378

Guidelines

1. Biermann JS, Hirbe A, et al. (including Olson D). NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for Bone Cancer, Version 1.2025. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2024.
2. Swetter SM, Johnson D, Albertini MR, et al. (including Olson D). NCCN Guidelines Insights: Melanoma: Cutaneous, Version 2.2024. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2024.
3. Swetter SM, Johnson D, et al. (including Olson D). NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) for Melanoma: Uveal, Version 1.2025. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2025.

Reviews, Commentaries, and Editorials

1. Olson DJ, Luke JJ. The T-cell–inflamed tumor microenvironment as a paradigm for immunotherapy drug development. Immunotherapy. 2019;11(3):155–159. PMID: 30730272
2. Olson DJ, Luke JJ. Improving therapy in metastatic uveal melanoma by understanding prior failures.Oncoscience. 2020;7(5–6):40–43. PMID: 32676517
3. Reschke R, Olson DJ. Leveraging STING, Batf3 dendritic cells, CXCR3 ligands, and innate immunity to induce a “hot” tumor microenvironment responsive to immunotherapy. Cancers (MDPI). 2022;14(10):2458. PMID: 35626062
4. Olson DJ, Luke JJ. Myeloid maturity: ATRA to enhance anti–PD-1? Clin Cancer Res. 2023. PMID: 36656164
5. Olson DJ, Odunsi K. Adoptive Cell Therapy for Nonhematologic Solid Tumors. J Clin Oncol. 2023; JCO2201618. PMID: 37104722
6. Abodunrin F, Olson DJ, Emehinola O, Bestvina CM. Adopting tomorrow’s therapies today: a perspective review of adoptive cell therapy in lung cancer. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2025. PMID: 40012708

Case Reports

1. Olson DJ, Bhalla S, Yang X, Martone B, Kuzel TM. Novel use of targeted therapy via PARP inhibition in a rare form of papillary renal cell carcinoma: A case report and literature review. Clin Genitourin Cancer.2016;14(4):e445–e448. PMID: 27079472
2. Olson DJ, Rajagopal P, Tjota MY, Venkataraman G, Luke JJ, Gajewski TF. A case of dual-mechanism immune-related anemia in metastatic melanoma treated with nivolumab and ipilimumab. J Immunother Cancer.2020;8(1):e000380. PMID: 32169870

Non–Peer-Reviewed Publications and Editorial Media

1. Olson DJ, Luke JJ. A framework for immunotherapy resistance through the T-cell inflamed tumor microenvironment. ASCO–SITC Clinical Immuno-Oncology Symposium Daily News. Feb 2019.
2. Olson DJ, Luke JJ. Perspective on “What to Do When Anti–PD-1 Therapy Fails in Patients with Melanoma.”Oncology. April 2019.
3. Olson DJ, Luke J. A plain language summary from pembrolizumab plus ipilimumab following PD-1 antibody failure in melanoma. Future Oncol. 2022. PMID: 35543482
4. Olson DJ. Case presentation: Pembrolizumab for non-melanoma skin cancer. Oncology Learning Network. 2022.
5. Olson DJ. Commentary on “Weighing the Pros and Cons of Neoadjuvant Anti–PD-1 Versus Combination Ipilimumab/Nivolumab in Melanoma.” ASCO Daily News. July 2023.
6. Olson DJ. Expert editorial: How will emerging treatments for PD-1–refractory melanoma shape care delivery?ASCO Daily News. June 2025.

Book Chapters

1. Olson DJ, Gutierrez R, Bentebibel SE, Sweis RF, Hamid O, Diab A, Johnson DB, Luke JJ. Novel Immunotherapies and Combinations of Immunotherapy for Metastatic Melanoma. In: Cutaneous Melanoma. 2020:1165–1186.

Other Publicly Available Works

• Addition of Lifileucel to Advanced Melanoma Arsenal Marks Milestone for TIL Therapy in Solid Tumor Management. OncLive Interview. 2024.
• FDA Approves New Cellular Therapy for Aggressive Skin Cancer. Forbes Interview. 2024.
• ‘A One-and-Done Treatment’: UChicago Medicine Among the First in the U.S. to Use TIL Therapy for Advanced Skin Cancer. UChicago Medicine Interview. 2024.
• ‘UChicago Medicine First in Midwest Offering Breakthrough Treatment for Cancer Patients.’ CBS Chicago Interview. 2025.

Clinical Trials and Protocol Leadership

Investigator-Initiated and Cooperative Group Sponsored (Active):

• Phase I/IIA Study of NY-ESO-1TCR/dnTGFβRII Engineered T Cells with Decitabine in Advanced Malignancies — Study PI
• Randomized Phase III Trial of Doxorubicin + Pembrolizumab vs Doxorubicin Alone in Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma (UPS) — Site PI (ECOG)
• Phase II Study of Cemiplimab + Ziv-Aflibercept in Metastatic Melanoma — Site PI
• Bifidobacterium Lactulose Optimization in Oncology and Microbiome (BLOOM) — Study PI

Past Investigator-Initiated:

• Exploratory Study of Circulating Tumor-Reactive Lymphocytes in Advanced Solid Tumors — PI
• Pembrolizumab + Ipilimumab Following PD-1/L1 Failure in Melanoma — Co-PI
• Cabozantinib vs Chemotherapy in Metastatic Uveal Melanoma (Alliance A091201) — Manuscript drafting as fellow

Industry-Sponsored (Active):

• INBRX-106 in Advanced Solid Tumors — Site PI
• ASP1570 in Advanced Solid Tumors — Site PI
• IMC-F106C ± Checkpoint Inhibitors in PRAME-Positive Cancers — Site PI
• T-Plex Customized TCR-Engineered T Cells for Solid Tumors — Site PI
• CHM-2101 (CDH17 CAR-T) in Refractory GI Cancers — Site PI
• IMM-1-104 (Dual MEK1/2 Inhibitor) in RAS-Mutated Tumors — Site PI
• CTX131 (Anti-CD70 CRISPR-Cas9 Allogeneic T Cells) — Site PI
• CT-95 in Mesothelin-Positive Advanced Cancers — Site PI
• AB248 ± Pembrolizumab in Advanced Solid Tumors — Site PI
• BAY 3375968 (Anti-CCR8 Antibody) ± Pembrolizumab in Solid Tumors — Site PI

Industry-Sponsored (Past):

• ADP-A2M4CD8 in Esophageal/EGJ Cancers (SURPASS-2) — Site PI
• NM32-2668 (Tri-Specific Anti-ROR1/CD3/HSA Antibody) — Site PI
• TAK-676 + Pembrolizumab Following Radiation Therapy in NSCLC, TNBC, or HNSCC — Site PI

Authored Protocols:

• ARRY-614 + Nivolumab/Ipilimumab in Advanced Melanoma and RCC — Active (external)
• Ivosidenib + Nivolumab in IDH1-Mutant Gliomas/Solid Tumors — Active (external)
• Multi-Center Cancer Immunotherapy Protocol Updates — Active
• NY-ESO-1TCR/dnTGFβRII + Decitabine in Ovarian and Solid Tumors — IND Approved, pending IRB
• Circulating Tumor-Reactive Lymphocyte Isolation Study — Active

Funding

Current

• UCCC IIT Pilot Grant – NY-ESO-1 TCR study ($100,000, PI: R. Koya)
• UCCC Immunotherapy Team Science Award – Mechanisms of Efficacy to Anti-CTLA-4 + Anti-PD-1 Therapy($200,000, PI: T. Gajewski)
• ACS Institutional Research Grant – Biomarkers of Combined PD-1 and CTLA-4 Responsiveness in Melanoma($35,000, PI: D. Olson)

Past

• NIH T-32 (T32GM00719) Clinical Therapeutics Training Grant (2018–2020, PI: M. Ratain)
• NIH K-12 (K12CA139160) Paul Calabresi Scholars in Clinical Oncology Award (2020–2021, PI: F. Olopade)

Office address: The University of Chicago Medicine
Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology & Oncology
I-225, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., MC 2115, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

Office telephone: +1 (773) 702-5258
Work email: [email protected]