In this episode, we sit down with Professor Dr. Lana E. Kandalaft, a world-renowned expert in immunotherapy and the Chief of Clinical and Translational Research at the Swiss Medical Network. The interview was recorded on the 17th November 2025.

For decades, the "one-size-fits-all" approach to cancer treatment has been the standard. But Professor Kandalaft is at the forefront of a medical revolution: Personalized Cancer Vaccines. By sequencing a patient's specific tumor mutations and "re-programming" their own immune soldiers (T-cells), her work is turning the body’s natural defenses into a precision-guided strike force against disease.

We dive deep into the "Death Valley" of medical research—the treacherous gap between a laboratory breakthrough and a patient’s bedside—and discuss why the next 20 years of immunology will be the most transformative in human history.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The Soldier Metaphor: How to visualize your T-cells and the "brakes" that cancer uses to hide from them.

• The Fingerprint Discovery: Why sequencing individual tumors allows for vaccines synthesized for a single person.

• Bench to Bedside: The reality of "Death Valley" and the massive hurdles in funding and infrastructure for new cures.

• The Next Pandemic: Professor Kandalaft’s take on global preparedness and why "we cannot stop" the arrival of new viruses.

• Public vs. Private: How the relationship between big pharma and private research is evolving to bring drugs to market faster.

About the Guest:

I have updated the biography to remove the mention of the National Cancer Institute.

Professor Dr. Lana E. Kandalaft is the Chief of Clinical and Translational Research at the Swiss Medical Network and Genolier Innovation Network, and the Director of the Vaccine Program at Clinique de Genolier. An Associate Professor at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) and Associate Director at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, she formerly held research positions at the University of Pennsylvania. She has spent over 20 years bridging the gap between complex science and life-saving clinical applications.