Nikhil Joshi, PhD
Professor of ImmunobiologyCards
Appointments
Additional Titles
Co-leader Cancer Immunology , Yale Cancer Center
Contact Info
Immunobiology
Department of Immunobiology, PO Box 208011, 300 Cedar Street
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
Appointments
Additional Titles
Co-leader Cancer Immunology , Yale Cancer Center
Contact Info
Immunobiology
Department of Immunobiology, PO Box 208011, 300 Cedar Street
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
Appointments
Additional Titles
Co-leader Cancer Immunology , Yale Cancer Center
Contact Info
Immunobiology
Department of Immunobiology, PO Box 208011, 300 Cedar Street
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
About
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Titles
Professor of Immunobiology
Co-leader Cancer Immunology , Yale Cancer Center
Biography
The Joshi laboratory uses intricate tumor models and advanced approaches to investigate immune cell interactions with developing tumors. The goal is to determine mechanistically why these interactions do not lead to more potent anti-tumor responses and to identify entry points for modulating these interactions through genetic manipulation and therapeutic intervention. Our studies focus on using established complex mouse models to investigate how subtypes of T cells function in the tumor microenvironment and how their interactions with other immune cell types impacts tumor development. Our laboratory combines advanced genetic modeling of mice and immunologic techniques to address fundamental questions in tumor immunology.
Appointments
Immunobiology
ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Cancer Immunology
- Colton Center for Autoimmunity
- Discovery to Cure Internship
- Human and Translational Immunology Program
- Immunobiology
- Immunology
- Liver Center
- Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, and Physiology
- Yale Cancer Center
- Yale Center for Immuno-Oncology
- Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2016)
- PhD
- Yale University, Immunobiology (2009)
- ScM
- Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (2003)
- BS
- University of Michigan (2000)
Research
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Overview
Medical Research Interests
Public Health Interests
ORCID
0000-0002-7045-7837- View Lab Website
Nik Joshi's laboratory
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Kelli Connolly
Martina Damo
Former YSMEric Fagerberg
Former YSMGena Gora Foster, MD
Julie F. Cheung
Former YSMCan Cui
Former YSM
Tumor Microenvironment
Immunotherapy
T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory
Publications
2026
Krüppel-like factors 2 and 3 regulate T cell exhaustion by directing T cell residency and migration
Shen J, Brown R, Zhang Y, Gai K, Brown A, Bauer A, Zhu A, Lin S, Niu H, Kharel A, Xu Z, Cohen G, Depauw T, Fagerberg E, Kansas G, Joshi N, Jameson S, Cui W. Krüppel-like factors 2 and 3 regulate T cell exhaustion by directing T cell residency and migration. Immunity 2026, 59: 1287-1305.e7. PMID: 41903548, PMCID: PMC13088168, DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2026.02.021.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricDissecting Tumor‐Associated Tertiary Lymphoid Structure Formation and Maintenance Using Mouse Models
Riffard C, Yin Z, Connolly K, Joshi N. Dissecting Tumor‐Associated Tertiary Lymphoid Structure Formation and Maintenance Using Mouse Models. Immunological Reviews 2026, 338: e70117. PMID: 41795221, DOI: 10.1111/imr.70117.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitations
2025
Guidelines for T cell nomenclature
Masopust D, Awasthi A, Bosselut R, Brooks D, Buggert M, Chamoto K, Cui W, Dong C, Farber D, Gebhardt T, Gerlach C, Goldrath A, Greenberg P, Hale J, Hayday A, Homann D, Iannacone M, Jameson S, Jenkins M, Joshi N, Kaech S, Kallies A, Kamphorst A, Kaplan M, Klenerman P, Künzli M, Lanzavecchia A, Lauer G, Lugli E, Luster A, Mackay L, McElrath M, Mueller S, Ndhlovu Z, Ndung’u T, Ohashi P, Oxenius A, Pantaleo G, Pepper M, Picker L, Quarnstrom C, Reyes-Terán G, Roederer M, Rosato P, de Oca G, Sallusto F, Schumacher T, Schwartz D, Shin E, Soerens A, Thommen D, Vezys V, Viola J, Walker B, Watts T, Weaver C, Wherry E, Xue H, Youngblood B, Ahmed R. Guidelines for T cell nomenclature. Nature Reviews Immunology 2025, 26: 298-313. PMID: 41254224, DOI: 10.1038/s41577-025-01238-2.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsAltmetricDistinct T cell functions enable efficient immunoediting and prevent tumor emergence of developing sarcomas
Cheung J, Hunt B, Wahed S, Cheng E, Connolly K, Venkatesan S, Loza J, Bansal I, Fagerberg E, Kessler E, Riffard C, Buck J, Attanasio J, Borr E, Wei W, William I, Fitzgerald B, Joshi N. Distinct T cell functions enable efficient immunoediting and prevent tumor emergence of developing sarcomas. Cancer Cell 2025, 43: 2311-2326.e4. PMID: 41043437, PMCID: PMC12693725, DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2025.09.005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricPreclinical Models of Solid Cancers for Testing Cancer Immunotherapies
Exposito F, Connolly K, Tang T, Chiorazzi M, Hunt B, Cardenas J, Nguyen D, Joshi N, Politi K. Preclinical Models of Solid Cancers for Testing Cancer Immunotherapies. Annual Review Of Cancer Biology 2025, 9: 285-305. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-062822-024810.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitationsKLF2 maintains lineage fidelity and suppresses CD8 T cell exhaustion during acute LCMV infection
Fagerberg E, Attanasio J, Dien C, Singh J, Kessler E, Abdullah L, Shen J, Hunt B, Connolly K, De Brouwer E, He J, Iyer N, Buck J, Borr E, Damo M, Foster G, Giles J, Huang Y, Tsang J, Krishnaswamy S, Cui W, Joshi N. KLF2 maintains lineage fidelity and suppresses CD8 T cell exhaustion during acute LCMV infection. Science 2025, 387: eadn2337-eadn2337. PMID: 39946463, PMCID: PMC12199163, DOI: 10.1126/science.adn2337.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2024
Mapping the gene space at single-cell resolution with gene signal pattern analysis
Venkat A, Leone S, Youlten S, Fagerberg E, Attanasio J, Joshi N, Perlmutter M, Krishnaswamy S. Mapping the gene space at single-cell resolution with gene signal pattern analysis. Nature Computational Science 2024, 4: 955-977. PMID: 39706866, PMCID: PMC12327385, DOI: 10.1038/s43588-024-00734-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMouse Models Enable the Functional Investigation of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Cancer
Jeevanandam A, Yin Z, Connolly K, Joshi N. Mouse Models Enable the Functional Investigation of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Cancer. Methods In Molecular Biology 2024, 2864: 57-76. PMID: 39527217, DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4184-2_4.ChaptersCitationsAltmetricLactate fermentation intoxicates TILs
Hunt B, Kessler E, Joshi N. Lactate fermentation intoxicates TILs. Nature Immunology 2024, 25: 2176-2177. PMID: 39516647, DOI: 10.1038/s41590-024-02020-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricEndothelial γ-protocadherins inhibit KLF2 and KLF4 to promote atherosclerosis
Joshi D, Coon B, Chakraborty R, Deng H, Yang Z, Babar M, Fernandez-Tussy P, Meredith E, Attanasio J, Joshi N, Traylor J, Orr A, Fernandez-Hernando C, Libreros S, Schwartz M. Endothelial γ-protocadherins inhibit KLF2 and KLF4 to promote atherosclerosis. Nature Cardiovascular Research 2024, 3: 1035-1048. PMID: 39232138, PMCID: PMC11399086, DOI: 10.1038/s44161-024-00522-z.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Honors
honor Class of 1961 Cancer Research Award
01/05/2023Yale School of Medicine AwardYale Cancer CenterDetailsUnited Stateshonor Basic Science Research Prize
01/05/2023Yale School of Medicine AwardYale Cancer CenterDetailsUnited Stateshonor Young Investigators in Cancer Research
06/27/2022National AwardPershing Square Sohn PrizeDetailsUnited Stateshonor Emerging Leader Award
01/01/2022National AwardMark FoundationDetailsUnited Stateshonor James B. Dougherty MD Award
12/01/2021National AwardLung Cancer Research FoundationDetailsUnited States
News & Links
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Media
News
- January 14, 2026
Understanding the Immunobiology of T Cells
- May 02, 2025
Immunotherapy: Balancing Cancer Treatment Benefits and Risks
- February 27, 2025
The Rules of Immunity: What Decides T Cell Fate
- April 12, 2024
Yale Cancer Center Faculty and Trainees Present at AACR Annual Meeting
Get In Touch
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Contacts
Immunobiology
Department of Immunobiology, PO Box 208011, 300 Cedar Street
New Haven, CT 06520
United States
Locations
Joshi Laboratory
Lab
The Anlyan Center
300 Cedar Street, Ste S640
New Haven, CT 06519
The Anlyan Center
Academic Office
300 Cedar Street, Ste S641B
New Haven, CT 06519