UMCUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical School · Biology
Kang Lab
Joonsoo Kang · Worcester, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Dr. Joonsoo Kang's lab explores how cholesterol metabolites affect the immune system, particularly in the skin of children. They study a specific type of immune cell called type 3 lymphocytes, which are important for skin health and barrier function. By analyzing how these cells develop and respond to dietary influences, the lab aims to uncover links between nutrition, immune response, and common skin diseases such as psoriasis and eczema.
cholesterol metabolismskin immunityimmune cellstype 3 lymphocyteschildhood immunitydietary influencesinflammationpsoriasiseczema
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how dietary cholesterol metabolites influence immune cell behavior in the skin.
AIM 02Catalog immune cell types and states in children's skin from infancy to adulthood.
AIM 03Determine the relationship between dietary habits and inflammatory responses in skin-resident T3 lymphocytes.
AIM 04Explore the mechanisms by which nutritional states affect tissue homeostasis.
AIM 05Create a comprehensive atlas of skin immune cells to enhance understanding of early life immunity.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturesingle cell RNA sequencingflow cytometryimmunophenotypinganimal modelsdata analysis using RWestern blotPCRmicroscopyexperimental design
Output against the department
Publications138top 50% of dept.516th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.6ktop 48% of dept.501st of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.