Miki Kume, MD, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Miki Kume is originally from Osaka, Japan. She graduated from Osaka University Medical School in 2016 and chose to specialize in dermatology. After a four-year career as a medical doctor, she pursued further studies at Osaka University Graduate School, where she earned her PhD in dermatology in 2024 under the guidance of Dr. Rei Watanabe and Dr. Manabu Fujimoto. During her PhD, she conducted research on cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and psoriasis, focusing on the roles of resident memory T cells and keratinocyte-T cell interactions in the skin. She discovered that ganglioside GD3 expressed in malignant T cells may suppress the functional activities of benign skin T cells in CTCL using human skin samples. Additionally, her studies using both human and murine samples revealed that Sema4A downregulation in keratinocytes leads to the characteristics of non-lesional psoriasis and that the signaling pathways related to Sema4A could serve as triggers for psoriasis, as well as potential targets for treatment and prevention.

Miki is keen to broaden her understanding of immune systems from various perspectives. She is currently particularly interested in how environmental factors such as skin and/or intestinal microbiomes, obesity, and diet influence aberrant immune responses, especially in T cells.

From 2021 to 2024, Miki received the Research Fellowship for Young Scientists from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Outside the laboratory, Miki enjoys spending time with her friends and her family. She is fond of traveling and watching movies.