Awarded in 2025
Home Department: Computer Science
Faculty Advisors: Anshul Kundaje (Genetics and Computer Science), Scott Boyd (Pathology), and Tho Pham (Surgery - Multi-Organ Transplantation)

Research Title: Deciphering Memory B-Cell Repertoires to Uncover Immune Dynamics and Disease Associations

Chiho’s project aims to decipher human memory B-cell repertoires – the record-keepers of our immune history – to better understand how our bodies respond to infections and vaccines. The Kundaje lab use cutting-edge machine learning techniques to predict which pathogens someone has been exposed to, suggest receptor mutations that could enhance antibody binding, and identify disease-linked immune signatures using graph-based analysis. By integrating large-scale sequencing, generative models, and structural validation, this work enables a deeper view into immune memory at both the molecular and the repertoire level. The outcome could transform vaccine design, improve diagnostics, and lay the groundwork for personalized immunotherapies that adapt to an individual’s unique immune experience.