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We are interested in the biology and clinical relevance of human natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells constitute an essential component of the immune system involved in the control of viral infections and eradication of tumor cells. NK cells identify their targets through KIR (Killer cell Ig-like Receptors), which sense subtle changes in the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. We want to understand how NK cell diversity on the levels of genetic polymorphisms and clonal repertoires contribute to NK cell immunity. We are interested in the mechanisms that regulate NK cell differentiation and have established in vitro models to effectively generate NK cells from hematopoietic stem cells. Moreover, we are investigating the clinical role of NK cells in leukemia and allogeneic stem cell transplantation.