Biography

Dr. Tomokazu Sumida received his MD, PhD and practiced as a cardiologist in Japan. Through studying the interface between the immune system and cardiovascular disease, the research focus shifted toward basic and translational immunology. The Sumida lab’s main focus is on understanding molecular mechanisms that drive T cell dysfunction, especially regulatory T cells, in human diseases by using cutting-edge technologies (i.e. Single-cell multi-omics, ATAC-seq, CRISPR gene editing/regulation). The lab also focusses on co-inhibitory receptor signaling as a central regulatory mechanism governing immune cell activation, primarily on T cells. Recent COVID-19 pandemic provides the opportunity to better understand the molecular mechanisms by which COVID-19 patients develop severe clinical manifestation, where type 1 IFN response plays fundamental role in modulating co-inhibitory receptor expression and T cell functions. Fine-tuned immune regulation is somehow rewired in disease settings due to dysfunctional properties of diverse types of immune cells. Understanding the cellular and molecular programs that control fine-tuned regulation of inflammation in human immune cells is a key to combating autoinflammatory disorders.