Research

Engineering next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for cancer

My research focuses on developing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies using biologically inspired gene- and protein-engineering strategies. While CAR T-cell therapy has been transformative for hematologic malignancies, major challenges remain in extending these successes to new disease contexts such as metastatic solid cancers. A central theme of my work is identifying principles underlying successful CAR T-cell responses and translating those principles into new therapeutic designs. I am particularly interested in strategies that enhance systemic activity, persistence, and functional robustness of engineered immune cells while mitigating on-target, off-tumor toxicity.

Long-lived immune states in health and disease

I have a deep interest in long-lived immune cell states that underlie immune responses in health and disease. My research on decade-long persisting CAR T cells revealed the existence of unexpected, long-persisting CAR T cells with sustained clinical responses, motivating a broader interest in how immune cells maintain long-term functionality. These long-lived states provide a window into fundamental immunology, with relevance not only to cancer immunotherapy but also to immune memory, chronic infection, and immune-mediated disease.

Data-driven discovery as an engine for biological and therapeutic insight

My research uses data-driven discovery as an engine for generating biological insight and motivating new strategies for therapeutic innovation. I develop and apply computational and statistical approaches to analyze high-dimensional genomic and single-cell datasets, with an emphasis on principled model design, validation, and interpretability. Computation in my work is tightly integrated with experimental and clinical questions, serving as a fundamental tool to identify immune states, regulatory programs, and biological constraints in complex data.