“We are at an extraordinary inflection point, where the convergence of AI, synthetic biology, and immunology is making it possible to move from observing the immune system to truly engineering it,” Andrea Califano, president of Immune Cell Reprogramming, and head of Biohub New York, said in a statement. “Each of these investigators brings a distinct and essential perspective to that challenge, and together they will help us build the predictive and programmable tools we need to detect and prevent disease long before it takes hold.”
With the Immune Cell Reprogramming program, Biohub aims to harness immune cells for real-time health monitoring and disease treatment.
The four new YSM investigators join six others from Yale, including John Tsang, PhD, MMath, who is the Yale lead for Biohub New York and serves on the steering committee.
Berro’s Biohub project will focus on programmable mechano-transducers for precision diagnostics and therapeutics, while Fan’s work will center on decoding and engineering immunity through spatial multi-omics. Flavell will investigate T cells for sensing cancer, exploring applications from first contact to cancer prevention. And Wang aims to understand and engineer T cells for diseases of the brain.
“Through its investigator program and parallel affiliated investigator cohort, Biohub accelerates research led by scientists, engineers, and technologists by providing them with unrestricted funding to pursue their most innovative and high-impact research projects,” said Biohub. “The new investigators will join a vibrant, collaborative, and supportive research community in New York, gaining access to cutting-edge tools, expertise, and training opportunities.”