Amir Horowitz, PhD
img_Amir Horowitz
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR | Immunology & Immunotherapy
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR | Oncological Sciences
Research Topics
Anti-Tumor Therapy, Autoimmunity, Bioinformatics, Cancer Genetics, Cellular Immunity, Epidemiology, Genetics, HIV/AIDS, Immunology, Infectious Disease, Lymphocytes, Personalized Medicine, Structural Biology, T Cells, Tolerance, Translational Research, Transplantation, Tumorigenesis, Vaccine Development
Multi-Disciplinary Training Area
Cancer Biology [CAB]
Harnessing NK cells for improving cancer immunotherapies
My work has contributed to developing an understanding of adaptive NK cells and their roles in microbial infections and following vaccination and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). I was the first person to demonstrate adaptive roles for NK cells in vaccine settings as a strategy to potentiate T cell memory. I also pioneered the first studies of human NK cells by mass cytometry (CyTOF) and demonstrated an enormous breadth of phenotypic diversity and functions associated with specific HLA class I and KIR backgrounds. This research has led to the identification and characterization of numerous NK cell subset populations with unique activity and antiviral (and anti-tumor) potential. In summary, based on my record of successful and highly innovative research projects in areas of immunogenetics and the use of CyTOF, next generation sequencing and computational analytics, I am prepared to study how HLA class I mediated education of NK cells and tumor-derived mutations affecting HLA class I expression and antigen presentation determines sensitivity to tumor cells, immunosuppressive elements produced within the tumor microenvironment and the capacity to potentiate antitumor CD8 T cell activity in response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Research Lab: http://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/horowitzlab/
Publications

Selected Publications

The HLA-B –21 M/T dimorphism associates with disease severity in COVID-19. Benedikt Strunz, Pouria Momayyezi, Eleni Bilev, Jagadeeswara Rao Muvva, Puran Chen, Jonna Bister, Marie Schaffer, Mira Akber, Martin Cornillet, David Wullimann, Andreas von Kries, Renata Varnaite, Christian Unge, Janne Tynell, Mattias Svensson, Kristoffer Strålin, Anders Sönnerborg, Tea Soini, Ebba Sohlberg, Takuya Sekine, John Tyler Sandberg, Johan K. Sandberg, Olav Rooyackers, Olga Rivera-Ballesteros, Emma Ringqvist, Dorota Religa, Lena Radler, Björn P. Persson, Andre Perez-Potti, Tiphaine Parrot, Laura M. Palma Medina, Anna Norrby-Teglund, Pontus Nauclér, Kirsten Moll, Jenny Mjösberg, Jakob Michaëlsson, Christopher Maucourant, Johan Mårtensson, Nicole Marquardt, Karl Johan Malmberg, Kimia T. Maleki, Magdalini Lourda, Marco Giulio Loreti, Egle Kvedaraite, Efthymia Kokkinou, Jonas Klingström, Tobias Kammann, Sadaf Kalsum, Laura Hertwig, Amir Horowitz. Genes and Immunity

Bladder-sparing Therapy for Bacillus Calmette-Guérin–unresponsive Non–muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer: International Bladder Cancer Group Recommendations for Optimal Sequencing and Patient Selection. Roger Li, Patrick J. Hensley, Shilpa Gupta, Hikmat Al-Ahmadie, Marko Babjuk, Peter C. Black, Maurizio Brausi, Kelly K. Bree, Mario I. Fernández, Charles C. Guo, Amir Horowitz, Donald L. Lamm, Seth P. Lerner, Yair Lotan, Paramananthan Mariappan, David McConkey, Laura S. Mertens, Carmen Mir, Jeffrey S. Ross, Michael O'Donnell, Joan Palou, Kamal Pohar, Gary Steinberg, Mark Soloway, Philippe E. Spiess, Robert S. Svatek, Wei Shen Tan, Rikiya Taoka, Roger Buckley, Ashish M. Kamat. European Urology

High-dimensional analysis of NK cells in kidney transplantation uncovers subsets associated with antibody-independent graft dysfunction. Dan Fu Ruan, Miguel Fribourg, Yuko Yuki, Yeon Hwa Park, Maureen P. Martin, Haocheng Yu, Geoffrey C. Kelly, Brian Lee, Ronaldo M. de Real, Rachel Lee, Daniel Geanon, Seunghee Kim-Schulze, Nicholas Chun, Paolo Cravedi, Mary Carrington, Peter S. Heeger, Amir Horowitz. JCI insight

View All Publications

Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology companies, and other outside entities to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their outside financial relationships.

Below are financial relationships with industry reported by Dr. Horowitz during 2024 and/or 2025. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.

Consulting or Other Professional Services Examples include, but are not limited to, committee participation, data safety monitoring board (DSMB) membership

  • enGene Inc.
  • Moexa Pharmaceuticals

Mount Sinai's faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.