Nikhil Joshi

Nikhil Joshi, PhD is an Associate Professor with Tenure in the Department of Immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine. He serves as Co-leader of the Cancer Immunology Program at Yale Cancer Center and maintains affiliations with multiple Yale research initiatives including the Yale Center for Immuno-Oncology, Human and Translational Immunology Program, and Immunology Liver Center.

His research focuses on understanding immune cell interactions with developing tumors, particularly investigating how T cell subtypes function in the tumor microenvironment using complex mouse models. The Joshi Lab combines advanced genetic modeling with immunologic techniques to address fundamental questions in tumor immunology.

Analysis of recent publications (2022-2025) reveals a strong focus on T cell biology in cancer, with particular emphasis on T cell exhaustion mechanisms, immunoediting processes, tertiary lymphoid structures, and metabolic influences on tumor immunity. His work spans both basic immunological mechanisms and translational applications for cancer immunotherapy.

• Class of 1961 Cancer Research Award, Yale Cancer Center (2023)
• Basic Science Research Prize, Yale Cancer Center (2023)
• Young Investigators in Cancer Research, Pershing Square Sohn Prize (2022)
• Emerging Leader Award, Mark Foundation (2022)
• James B. Dougherty MD Award, Lung Cancer Research Foundation (2021)

Professor Joshi maintains active research funding as evidenced by his substantial publication record in high-impact journals. His lab trains numerous students and postdocs, with frequent collaborators including Kelli Connolly, Gena Gora Foster, and Eric Fagerberg. The lab participates in multiple interdisciplinary initiatives at Yale, providing students with opportunities to work at the intersection of immunology, cancer biology, and computational approaches.

The Joshi Laboratory focuses on engineering models to decode T-cell immunity in cancer, with research spanning tumor differentiation, T cell fate in cancer and health, and mechanisms of action for immune cells in tumor development and suppression.