St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital today announced that Hongbo Chi, PhD, a faculty member and the Robert G. Webster Endowed Chair in Immunology, has been named chair of the Department of Immunology.
In his new role, Chi will recruit world-class scientists to broaden the scope of immunology research at St. Jude. Future expansion areas include investigations of cell–cell interaction networks that regulate immunity in tissue microenvironments, and the intersection of the immune system with other organ systems. Chi will also foster the applications of cutting-edge systems biology and immuno-engineering approaches to advance immunological science.
“A true innovator in the fields of immunology and immunometabolism, Hongbo’s work is already helping us find cures and save children with catastrophic diseases around the world,” said James R. Downing, MD, president and CEO of St. Jude. “I look forward to seeing how the Department of Immunology continues to grow and make new discoveries under his leadership.”
Chi joined St. Jude in 2007. His research has focused on immune system function as orchestrated by specialized immune cells known as T cells and dendritic cells, along with how cell metabolism and nutrient signaling control adaptive immune responses. His laboratory has helped establish new paradigms in adaptive immunity and integrated genomics tools with discovery and translation in immunology. T cells are the key mediators of adaptive immunity, and together with dendritic cells, are crucial components in fighting cancer and infectious diseases.
“The Department of Immunology has fantastic expertise in understanding fundamental cell biology of the immune system, and there are new directions we are eager to develop,” said Chi. “We’re aiming to fill the knowledge gap between cell biology and disease of the immune system by advancing tissue and organismal immunity, and will leverage recent groundbreaking technologies to drive new discoveries. Overall, we will continue to innovate with the goal of building a world-class immunology department that will contribute to the mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”
Chi’s work has revealed novel metabolic drivers and regulatory networks underlying adaptive immunity and their impacts on cancer and autoimmunity. These seminal studies in immunology and immunometabolism have contributed to the discovery of actionable disease targets to improve next-generation immunotherapies for cancer.
“Dr. Chi’s work has already had a significant impact on the immunology field,” said J. Paul Taylor, MD, PhD, St. Jude executive vice president and scientific director. “Dr. Chi and the Department of Immunology will continue to expand what we know is possible with the immune system and the role it can and will play in fighting catastrophic childhood diseases.”
Chi’s research has earned him a place on the lists of Highly Cited Researchers in immunology by the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate for five consecutive years. He was recognized as a 2023 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science Family of Journals.
Chi will succeed Terrence Geiger, MD, PhD, St. Jude senior vice president and deputy director for academic and biomedical operations, who has served the role in an interim capacity. Originally from China, Chi earned his PhD in pathology from the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He performed his postdoctoral training in immunobiology at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer, sickle cell disease, and other life-threatening disorders. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 60 years ago. St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. To learn more, visit stjude.org, read St. Jude Progress, a digital magazine, and follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch.