Longhui Zeng, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow Yale University

T cell-based immunotherapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors and cell therapies, are now effective options against a variety of advanced cancers. However, they don’t work in all cases, largely because of the tumor microenvironment, which can keep T cells out, exhaust them, and suppress their activity. With a better understanding of T cell signaling pathways, we might be able to better design treatments to optimize their cancer-fighting capabilities via immunotherapy.

To that end, Dr. Zeng aims to explore the microclusters that form on the surfaces of T cells, and how these complex signaling hubs promote T cell activation. This might reveal new insights that can be used to guide how we design T cell therapies against cancer.

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