JuneHo joined the department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Washington University as a Postdoc and focused on the research about reprogramming of single-cell derived mesenchymal stem cells into hair cell-like cells and ganglion neurons. JuneHo later moved to the department of Otolaryngology at Stanford as a Sr. Scientist and focused on three primary areas of research: (1) Aryl hydrocarbon receptor functions on NK cell development and immune response to head and neck cancer (NK cell migration and anti-cancer activity), (2) analyzing oncogenic mechanism of NSD1 and caspase-8 mutant in oral squamous cancer cells and their immune responses, and (3) the developmental programs of a special lymphocyte population involved in innate immunity called natural killer cells.

Ivan is a postdoctoral researcher and lab manager in the Sunwoo lab. His work focuses on defining the MHC immunopeptidome of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas using mass spectrometry–based proteomics to inform immunotherapy development. He earned his PhD in Molecular Biology from Charles University in Prague, where he studied immunotherapy approaches for HPV16-associated cancers.

Prior to joining the lab, Ivan was a Visiting Researcher at Uppsala University and received training in tumor immunology at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, IOCB Prague, and Leiden University Medical Center. Outside the lab, Ivan enjoys traveling, skiing, and other outdoor activities. He is a fan of real fried cheese and was part of the first Czech sailing crew to navigate the Northwest Passage.

Imran got his Bachelors in Biotechnology from KL University in India. He then went on to obtain a Masters in Biotechnology from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and a PhD in Molecular Immunology from the University of Turku in Finland. His hobbies include playing chess and going on boba tea breaks. His research interests in lab include using “-omics” data to discover lineage-defining nuclear receptors in NK cells.

Xinyuan received her PhD from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where her research focused on utilizing human embryonic stem cells to generate region-specific neural progenitor cells for potential cell therapy applications in neurodegenerative diseases. Xinyuan is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Sunwoo lab, focusing on understanding how tissue microenvironment–derived integrins regulate human natural killer (NK) cell tissue residency. Outside the lab, Xinyuan enjoys cooking and baking, playing tennis, and spending quality time with her family.

Beverly was born and raised in Singapore and is currently a medical student with a research focus at the interface of surgery and tumor immunology. Her work in lab studies surgical drain fluid as a novel biofluid to capture tumour-regional immune dynamics, with particular interest in myeloid & lymphoid remodelling during immunotherapy. Outside the lab, Beverly enjoys practicing yoga, playing the piano, and skiing whenever she can.

Keene was born and raised in Singapore and attended the University of Cambridge. After his bachelors, he worked as a researcher at the Singapore Immunology Network, A*STAR, before coming to Stanford. He enjoys indoor climbing/bouldering and going to music festivals. His research currently investigates how ILCs and NKs are shaped by tissue environments and how this influences anti-tumor immunity. By combining mouse genetics, single-cell genomics, and functional CRISPR screens, he aims to identify pathways that enhance NK cell tissue residency and cancer surveillance. 

Amanda was born in the  Philippines and completed her BS in Microbiology at San Francisco State University. She then obtained her MS in Cell and Molecular Biology where she conducted research on the role of viral G protein-coupled receptor (vGPCR) of Kaposi's sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV) in innate immunity and paracrine signaling. Her current research focuses on the differentiation and function of tissue-resident NK cells in epithelial tissues and tumors. When she's not processing tissue, Amanda enjoys snowboarding, yoga, and giving her love and attention to her dog, Biko. 

Yujung graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.S. in Bioengineering. Her undergraduate and post-grad research in the lab of Prof. David Schaffer focused on engineering oncolytic virotherapies to improve delivery in solid tumors and understanding basic mechanisms of DNA repair in poxviruses to develop novel gene-editing platforms. Her prior work includes investigating cellular factors controlling HIV latency in the lab of Prof. Iain Clark and developing CAR-NK therapies at Nkarta Inc. As a PhD student, she is interested in understanding dysfunctional immune responses that develop during the progression of cancer.

Barbod is a third year undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Psychology. His current research involves the production of a Bispecific NK Cell Engager system to better activate NK Cells in the tumor microenvironment, and to increase NK-cell-mediated killing of tumor cells. Outside of lab, Barbod enjoys running, being in nature, and reading.