Yu Lei

We are steering committee members of the NCI Immuno-Oncology Translational Network and the NCI Early Detection Research Network. We are a translational immunology group that has developed robust sponsored programs in the following six areas. (i) We are interested in discovering major cancer immune escape mechanisms, such as oncogenic inhibition of the pattern recognition receptor (PRR)-mediated type-I interferon (IFN-I) signaling. (ii) We are characterizing the compartment-specific roles of innate immune signaling in cancer cells, myeloid cells, and peripheral nerves in the tumor microenvironment (TME). (iii) We are mapping the metabolic requirements of proper innate immune recognition of cancers. (iv) We are developing high-fidelity preclinical models for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to advance novel immunoprevention and immunotherapy strategies. (v) We are developing robust artificial intelligence-assisted, spatially resolved tools to discover and validate biomarkers for high-risk pre-cancerous oral lesions. (vi) We are testing robust nanotechnologies to normalize innate immune sensing of cancers and expedite clinical translation.