Research

Our research focus

Our lab is interested in a fundamental biological question of how immune homeostasis is achieved in tissue barriers. We study how cells of the immune system adapt to environmental factors and acquire immune-modulatory functions to support tissue homeostasis. These studies will advance our understanding of mechanisms that render regulatory functions on tissue-resident immune cells and eventually prevent the undesirable immune responses which may lead to allergies, autoimmune disorders, recurrent infections, and increased risks of cancer.

Through analysis of immune cells in the tissue barriers, we identified novel niches at the CNS borders for B cell lymphopoiesis. We also found a novel eosinophil subset unique to the small intestine that modulates the type 2 immune responses. We are extending these intriguing observations to further explore immune regulation at tissue barriers, with a particular focus on the meninges and small intestine. Our goal is to gain deeper insights into how these specialized immune populations maintain tolerance and homeostasis in their respective tissues.