Episode 17

full
Published on:

14th Oct 2026

Jedd D. Wolchok, MD, PhD: Curiosity, Conviction, and the Evolution of Cancer Immunotherapy

In the late 1990s, much of oncology regarded cancer immunology as closer to mysticism than science. Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD, was among the few who connected the early signals into a case that the immune system could control cancer.

On this episode of Precision Signals, Sean Khozin, MD, MPH, speaks with Dr. Wolchok, Meyer Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Wolchok was instrumental in the clinical development of ipilimumab, the first approved immune checkpoint inhibitor, led the clinical development of combined CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade, and led the work that defined the immune-related response criteria.

The conversation covers the mentors who shaped his career, the evidence that sustained the field through years of skepticism, why tumors can appear to grow before they respond, the search for better biomarkers, the role of AI in understanding tumor biology and measuring response, cell therapy for solid tumors, and his work bringing clinical trials to patients in Brooklyn and Queens.

All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Precision Signals

About the Podcast

Precision Signals
Decoding the Systems Behind Breakthroughs in Healthcare and Biomedicine
Precision Signals is a podcast from the CEO Roundtable on Cancer about decoding biomedical progress: what’s real, what matters, and what’s next. We talk with scientists, regulators, investors, and builders operating across the messy interface of research, healthcare, and policy. Some are moving the system from within; others are reshaping it from the outside. All of them bring signal in a world crowded with noise.

About your host

Profile picture for Sean Khozin, MD, MPH

Sean Khozin, MD, MPH

Sean Khozin, MD, MPH is a physician-executive and board-certified oncologist internationally recognized for his pioneering work on advancing the use of artificial intelligence and novel data science solutions in cancer research and drug development. As Chief Executive Officer of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer and its independent AI research organization, Project Data Sphere, he leads initiatives that bridge cutting-edge technology with clinically-meaningful applications to accelerate cancer research and care.

Dr. Khozin is founder of Phyusion Bio LLC, an advisory and venture creation firm specializing in precision therapies and AI-powered solutions. His entrepreneurial track record includes co-founding Hello Health (acquired by Myca Health) and serving as CEO of CancerLinQ, where he orchestrated its strategic acquisition by ConcertAI.

His regulatory and industry expertise spans leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson/Janssen R&D as Global Head of Data Strategy and at the US FDA, where he served as founding Executive Director of INFORMED—the agency's first data science incubator—while helping establish the Oncology Center of Excellence. Earlier in his career at the National Cancer Institute, he spearheaded clinical research on molecular profiling strategies for targeted therapy development.

Dr. Khozin maintains his academic connections as a Research Affiliate at MIT and serves on multiple boards advancing the intersection of cancer research and artificial intelligence in biomedicine.