Immune defense requires the capacity to respond to ever-changing pathogens and cancers while remaining tolerant to self. The Koh lab focuses on understanding the design principles in immune development that allow flexibility in cellular fate and function, and how these mechanisms are subverted in human disease. A major emphasis is to identify determinants that allow thymic epithelia to ectopically express thousands of tissue-specific self-antigens (e.g. insulin) to promote tolerance against harmful self-reactive T cells and prevent autoimmunity (e.g. diabetes). Another focus is to understand how T cells acquire competence to deploy diverse arrays of effector functions, and how this plasticity relates to leukemogenesis. We employ a broad, interdisciplinary approach combining genetics, genomics, biochemistry and proteomics, with particular investment in developing multi-omics methods to interrogate chromatin accessibility, gene expression, and cell-surface proteins from the same single cell. Elucidating how cellular plasticity is programmed in development, and dysregulated in disease, will avail novel therapeutic avenues for human disorders.
Stanford University
Postdoc - Chromatin Remodeling
2018
Harvard University
PhD - Immunology
2010
University of California, Los Angeles
BS - Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology
2003
Chromatin triggers tissue-specific immunity in 3D.
Chromatin triggers tissue-specific immunity in 3D. Immunity. 2026 Sep 08; 59(9):2354-2357.
PMID: 42710472
Igh nuclear speckle association promotes V(D)J recombination.
Igh nuclear speckle association promotes V(D)J recombination. Nat Commun. 2026 Apr 20; 17(1).
PMID: 42010249
Development and function of specified thymic iNKT1 cells critically depend on an Ets1-Tbet transcription factor axis.
Development and function of specified thymic iNKT1 cells critically depend on an Ets1-Tbet transcription factor axis. J Immunol. 2026 Mar 17; 215(3).
PMID: 41847852
TCR? constant usage tunes human ?d T cell antigen sensitivity, thymic programming, and peripheral function.
TCR? constant usage tunes human ?d T cell antigen sensitivity, thymic programming, and peripheral function. Sci Immunol. 2026 Feb 13; 11(116):eadr7167.
PMID: 41686911
Multiselective RAS(ON) inhibition targets oncogenic RAS and overcomes RAS-mediated resistance to FLT3i and BCL2i in AML.
Multiselective RAS(ON) inhibition targets oncogenic RAS and overcomes RAS-mediated resistance to FLT3i and BCL2i in AML. Blood. 2026 01 15; 147(3):276-289.
PMID: 41144772
DNA hypomethylation primes ILC lineage choice.
DNA hypomethylation primes ILC lineage choice. Nat Immunol. 2025 Oct; 26(10):1628-1630.
PMID: 40968161
Thymic epithelial cells amplify epigenetic noise to promote immune tolerance.
Thymic epithelial cells amplify epigenetic noise to promote immune tolerance. Nature. 2025 10; 646(8085):724-733.
PMID: 40836089
Multi-selective RAS(ON) Inhibition Targets Oncogenic RAS Mutations and Overcomes RAS/MAPK-Mediated Resistance to FLT3 and BCL2 Inhibitors in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Multi-selective RAS(ON) Inhibition Targets Oncogenic RAS Mutations and Overcomes RAS/MAPK-Mediated Resistance to FLT3 and BCL2 Inhibitors in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. bioRxiv. 2025 Jun 14.
PMID: 40661530
Multiomic single cell sequencing identifies stemlike nature of mixed phenotype acute leukemia.
Multiomic single cell sequencing identifies stemlike nature of mixed phenotype acute leukemia. Nat Commun. 2024 09 18; 15(1):8191.
PMID: 39294124
Venetoclax Induces BCL-2-Dependent Treg to TH17 Plasticity to Enhance the Antitumor Efficacy of Anti-PD-1 Checkpoint Blockade.
Venetoclax Induces BCL-2-Dependent Treg to TH17 Plasticity to Enhance the Antitumor Efficacy of Anti-PD-1 Checkpoint Blockade. Cancer Immunol Res. 2024 08 01; 12(8):1074-1089.
PMID: 38810242
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Fellow
2011 - 2014
Certificate of Excellence and Distinction in Teaching
Harvard College
2006 - 2007
NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award
2006 - 2008