Ichiro Misumi

Ichiro Misumi, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Genetics at the UNC School of Medicine. His research focuses on T cell-mediated immunity against viral infections, particularly Hepatitis A Virus (HAV). He leads a lab using mouse models to study HAV and LCMV, aiming to identify factors enhancing T cell responses for vaccine development. Dr. Misumi has received grants including the Faculty Research Support Grant (2023) and the UNC Junior Faculty Development Award (2022). His work integrates virology, immunology, and molecular biology to advance antiviral therapies.

Research Interests: Immune system dynamics, T cell responses to viral infections, host-virus interactions, and the role of obesity in immune vulnerability. Key projects include mapping genetic determinants of HAV susceptibility and exploring single-cell RNA sequencing for understanding host immunity.

Grants & Awards: Recipient of grants from the Department of Genetics and the UNC Committee on Faculty Research. Collaborates with labs like Jason Whitmire’s to study HAV replication pathways, recently identifying the ZCCHC14/TENT4 complex as a drug target. Co-authored studies on antiviral compounds like RG7834 in mouse models.

Labs & Teams: Active in the UNC Department of Genetics and collaborates with the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. His lab contributes to interdisciplinary efforts on viral pathogenesis and immunotherapy.