Timothy Edward O'Sullivan

Dr. Timothy Edward O'Sullivan is an Associate Professor in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, focusing on innate immunity and its applications in disease mechanisms. His research integrates clinical datasets with mouse models to uncover conserved immune pathways for therapeutic development.

• Education:
  • BS in Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University (2008)
  • PhD in Cancer Immunology, UCSD (2012)
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship in Immunology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2017)

His research spans three pillars: human innate immune gene regulatory networks (using CRISPR screens), lifespan regulation of NK cells (clonal persistence mechanisms), and inflammation dynamics (tissue-resident immune cell interactions). Analysis of 15 recent publications reveals trends in CRISPR-based functional genomics, sex-based immunology, and metabolic-immune crosstalk.

Scientific recognition includes the 2025 UCLA Faculty Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Award, 2025 Shaper Family Chair, and 2022 Regeneron New Investigator Award. His funding portfolio features NIH R01 grants for studying sex differences in NK cells and transcriptional control of NK persistence, along with support from Xyphos Biosciences.

Key collaborations include work with Dr. Matteo Pellegrini (UCLA) on CRISPR applications, Dr. Ajit Divakaruni (UCLA) on metabolic regulation, and Dr. Lewis Lanier (UCSF) in foundational NK cell memory studies. The lab's mission emphasizes translational immunology for combating cancer, obesity, and infectious diseases.