Soheil Tavakolpour

About Soheil Tavakolpour

Experienced Biologist with a demonstrated history in immunology and molecular genetics…

Experience

1. Scientist

   Sanofi

   Apr 2025 — Present · Cambridge, MA, US

   Serve as a core contributor in the Immunotoxicology group within Preclinical Safety, supporting early- and late-stage biologics and small molecule programs across multiple therapeutic areas. Design and execute in vitro immunotoxicology assays to evaluate the potential immunomodulatory effects of investigational compounds on human immune cells, with a focus on cytokine release, T cell activation, and antigen-specific responses.Lead the development and optimization of cell-based assays, including primary human PBMC co-culture systems, T cell cytotoxicity and proliferation readouts, and innate/adaptive immune profiling using multi-color flow cytometry, ELISA, MSD, and Luminex. Investigate immune-mediated adverse effects such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), T cell-dependent cytotoxicity (TDCC), and drug-induced immune activation or suppression, supporting safety risk assessment and candidate selection.Utilize automation platforms and liquid handling systems to increase reproducibility and throughput in screening assays. Collaborate cross-functionally with discovery, DMPK, and translational teams to integrate immunotoxicology data into IND-enabling packages. Interface with CROs for assay transfer, validation, and data generation. Contribute to data analysis using FlowJo, GraphPad Prism, and statistical tools, calculating EC₅₀/IC₅₀ values, gating immune subsets, and interpreting mechanism-of-action results.Present findings in multidisciplinary project team meetings and contribute to regulatory documentation (e.g, nonclinical safety summaries). Actively participate in internal scientific discussions to drive innovation in preclinical immune safety strategies, ensuring effective translation from bench to clinic.Help coordinate project timelines and study planning by facilitating communication across discovery, translational, and safety teams.Support assay prioritization and data tracking, and contribute to identifying solutions.