Although many studies have reported correlations between microbiome composition and immune disorders, establishing causality remains challenging. A key barrier is the limited mechanistic understanding of how diverse immune cell populations respond to complex microbial communities. As a postdoctoral fellow in the Nagashima lab at Harvard, Tomoya is interested in mapping how T cell repertoires interact with antigen-presenting cells that engulf gut microorganisms.
Tomoya received his PhD from the University of Tokyo under the supervision of Dr. Shohei Hori, where he investigated a novel mechanism of MHC class II suppression in CD8 T cells in a colon-specific and microbiota-dependent manner. Through his PhD work, he developed a strong interest in gut immunology, which informs his current research.