Kenneth Hu

Understanding how immune checkpoint blockade propagates through the multicellular network of the tumor microenvironment and draining lymphoid tissue is essential to improving its efficacy and response rate. Specifically, my lab is interested in how the heterogenous spatial arrangement of cells in the tumor arises and interacts with immune checkpoint blockade. This information will allow us to get the right cells to the right place at the right time to prime the system for maximal response to checkpoint blockade. We are broadly interested in uncovering the cell-cell signaling networks that lead to the formation of this spatial heterogeneity with a particular focus on the role of stromal-immune crosstalk. Our lab uses a combination of basic immunology, preclinical mouse models, imaging, single cell -omics, spatial transcriptomics, and computational approaches. Examples of questions we are actively pursuing: What causes hotspots of tumor killing post ICB administration and conversely what causes local cold spots? How do non-immune stroma including fibroblasts and vasculature modulate immune cell localization and expression states in the tumor? What are the dynamics of cellular trafficking to and from the tumor and what mechanisms govern the distribution of immune cells across tissues? To tackle these questions, we need to expand our toolbox for both measuring and perturbing biological systems in situ. As such, we seek students with a passion for building these tools as well as applying them to address questions in tumor immunology. We welcome students with a wide variety of educational backgrounds who seek a truly interdisciplinary learning environment.