Discovering a passion for science at St. Olaf led Ole to career in cancer research
Branden Moriarity ’07 never imagined he’d become a leading voice in cancer immunotherapy. In fact, he once hated science. But everything changed at St. Olaf College.
With the encouragement of his parents — both St. Olaf employees — and the support of mentors and the TRIO Student Support Services program, Moriarity discovered a passion for research that reshaped his life. He went on to double major in biology and chemistry, study abroad in the Czech Republic, and receive a prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute scholarship.
Today, Moriarity is an award-winning researcher, engineer, and entrepreneur at the University of Minnesota. His work developing CAR T-cell therapies is aimed at harnessing the immune system to fight cancer. Backed in part by the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund, his lab is pushing the boundaries of gene editing and immunotherapy, with plans to launch five new clinical trials in the coming decade.
In this video, Moriarity reflects on the unlikely path that began at St. Olaf — and how a liberal arts education, unexpected mentorship, and a newfound love for science put him on the front lines of one of medicine’s most urgent battles.