معرفی
Xiaolei Su is an Associate Professor of Cell Biology at Yale School of Medicine with extensive affiliations across Yale's research ecosystem, including the Department of Biochemistry, Quantitative Biology, Biophysics and Structural Biology (BQBS), Cancer Immunology, Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and Development, and as an Affiliate of Yale Cancer Center, Yale Center for Immuno-Oncology, and Yale Center for Systems and Engineering Immunology (CSEI).
Dr. Su received his BS in Biological Sciences from Peking University in 2006, followed by a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from Harvard University in 2012 under David Pellman, where he investigated cytoskeleton dynamics. He completed postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco in 2017 with Ron Vale, revealing that phase separation of membrane-associated proteins promotes T cell activation. Dr. Su established his independent research group at Yale in 2018.
Dr. Su's research program focuses on membrane remodeling and receptor signaling during immune responses, particularly investigating how biomolecular condensation regulates immune signaling pathways. His lab combines biochemical reconstitution with live cell imaging and animal models to study T cell and mast cell-mediated immune responses. Key research thrusts include the mechanism of CAR-T cell activation (discovering a size-dependent activation mechanism), mast cell granule biology and repurposing for anti-tumor functions, and transcellular migration of leukocytes. His work has revealed that CAR induces an unstable synapse with a disorganized pattern and bypasses LAT, a key adaptor in the TCR pathway.
Dr. Su's publication record demonstrates a consistent trajectory of high-impact research in immunology and cell biology, with significant contributions to understanding phase separation in immune signaling (Science 2016) and CAR-T cell mechanisms (Science Immunology 2022). His recent work (2023-2025) has expanded into novel CAR designs, imaging techniques for quality control, and deeper mechanistic insights into biomolecular condensation.
- NIH Director's Transformative Award (2024)
- Lion Heart Pilot Award (2024)
- Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research (2023)
- Gabrielle's Angel Foundation Medical Research Award (2023)
- American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant (2022)
Dr. Su leads the Su Lab at Yale, which maintains strong collaborative networks with researchers including Longhui Zeng, Antonio Giraldez, Siyuan (Steven) Wang, and Stefania Nicoli. His research has significant translational implications for developing improved CAR-T cell therapies and novel approaches to cancer immunotherapy, particularly for solid tumors where current T cell-centered therapies face limitations.
