Inside the O’Neill Lab: Collaboration at the Frontlines of Cancer Research

In Dr. Kim O’Neill’s lab at BYU, students are approaching cancer research from an intriguing new angle, studying cancer’s ability to co-opt the immune system by recruiting the body’s own immune cells for protection. For O’Neill, whose parents both passed from cancer, the fight is personal. “Cancer is a terrible disease; it lingers, and it affects not just the person diagnosed but everyone around them,” O’Neill says solemnly. “Fighting for a cure is my passion.” O’Neill and his team are now investigating ways to destroy cancerous growths by reprogramming phagocytic immune cells called macrophages that have been recruited by tumors, converting them from protective agents into targeted anti-cancer responders. Their passion-driven project represents a monumental breakthrough in leveraging the body’s own defenses to fight disease.

Photo by Tanner Frost

The environment in the O’Neill Lab is intensely collaborative. Dr. O’Neill mentors all his students while also encouraging graduate students to lead research teams of undergraduates and engage regularly with faculty collaborators to develop new ideas. David Carter (MMBIO ’28) studies how CAR T cells can be used to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases under the guidance of graduate student Brianna Davis (MS '27, MMBIO). In the lab, Carter helps monitor engineered T cells and target cells grown in incubators, examining them under microscopes to ensure the cells remain healthy before experiments begin. The team’s research focuses on understanding why CAR T cells become exhausted and less effective after repeated exposure to cancerous B cells, a major challenge in making these therapies work reliably in patients. Their work also contributes to ongoing research into antiphospholipid syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease in which harmful auto-reactive antibodies can cause life-threatening blood clotting.

The collaborative environment has shaped Carter’s experience in the O’Neill Lab. “Brianna is extremely knowledgeable,” he shares, “and has taught me most of what I know. Dr. O’Neill is equally incredible; he’s very involved during lab meetings, where he gives constructive feedback and helps us work through obstacles and plan next steps.” By intentionally fostering an environment in which students feel comfortable contributing ideas, asking questions, and actively shaping the direction of the research, O’Neill and his team have made meaningful strides toward improving CAR T-cell therapies and addressing some of the most complex challenges in cancer and autoimmune disease treatment.

Photo by Tanner Frost

The O’Neill Lab also boasts a strong publication record that reflects the breadth and impact of its work. Both undergraduate and graduate students are regularly supported in presenting their research at regional, national, and international conferences, giving them opportunities to share their findings with the broader scientific community. In addition, the lab’s work has contributed to translational efforts through Thunder Biotech, a startup company launched to commercialize macrophage-based CAR therapies developed at BYU. Thunder Biotech focuses on advancing technologies designed to target and destroy tumors using engineered immune cells.

Claire Kwon (MS ’27, MMBIO) reflects on her time working in the O’Neill Lab with gratitude. For her, the work is about more than scientific advancement alone. “Studying science has helped me appreciate the human body more,” she says. “There are incredibly complex biological processes involved, and even a single protein can affect our health or cause disease.” Using computational analysis of patient datasets alongside experiments with cancer cell lines, Kwon pushes lab research forward by studying how specific genetic mutations can cause proteins found only inside the cell to appear on the cell surface, effectively creating a molecular ‘flag’ that engineered immune cells can recognize and attack. “If we can find proteins that are expressed only on cancer cells and not on normal cells,” Kwon explains, “they could serve as biomarkers and potential targets for therapy.” Her research could eventually allow scientists to engineer CAR T cells capable of specifically targeting cancer cells, therefore reducing damage to healthy tissue while improving treatment effectiveness.

Working together towards a common goal, both Dr. O’Neill and his student researchers draw upon their shared religious conviction for inspiration as they continue to search for a cure. “I see God’s hand in my life all the time,” Dr. O’Neill shares, “in everything we do, in my teaching and in my research. We have seen miracle after miracle. There have been moments when I wanted to give up because an experiment failed, and I’ve felt very clearly, ‘Don’t give up.’ Then suddenly the situation changes, and it’s amazing. I feel that He’s guiding our team almost every day toward what truly matters.” For students who dream of making a difference through science, the O’Neill Lab offers an opportunity to engage in meaningful, divinely inspired research that brings hope to cancer patients and their families.

Photo by Tanner Frost