The Leung Lab studies how cellular circuits govern inflammation and tissue repair.
We use human diseases as natural experiments to uncover fundamental biology. We ask how immune cells acquire new functions in inflamed tissue, how granulomas organize themselves, and why injured skin scars rather than regenerates. We combine human genetics, clinical cohorts, single-cell and spatial omics, and mechanistic experiments to find the signals that matter. Our discoveries have already changed care for patients with Sweet syndrome and DRESS, and are revealing new therapeutic strategies for sarcoidosis.
Immune Cell Plasticity
How do tissues reprogram immune cells?
We found a skin signal that turns short-lived neutrophils into long-lived cells that can present antigen.
Granulomas
How do granulomas form, and why do they persist?
We mapped every cell in skin granulomas to uncover new biomarkers and treatments.
Healing Skin Without a Scar
Why does skin scar instead of regenerate?
By targeting nerve and immune signals, we raised skin regeneration in mice from 1% to 75%.
Thomas Leung, MD, PhD, is the Herman Beerman Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his MD and PhD through the UCLA–Caltech Medical Scientist Training Program, where he studied gene regulation in the laboratory of Nobel laureate David Baltimore, before completing dermatology residency and postdoctoral training at Stanford University.
Video Abstracts
Carnosic acid in topical rosemary extract enhances skin repair via TRPA1 activation
Rapp et al., JCI Insight (2025)
Cycling GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment induces therapeutic resistance and increased adiposity
Son et al., JCI Insight (2026)
Latest News
Oct — Emmanuel Rapp’s paper on granuloma biology accepted in Nature Communications.
Oct — Thomas Leung elected to the American Dermatological Association.
Aug — Annika Ridky’s review on granuloma biology published in Genes & Development.
Aug — Thomas Leung and Misha Rosenbach receive funding from Priovant Therapeutics to study human skin granulomas.
Jul — Kevin Kim receives an NIH F30 predoctoral fellowship to study granuloma biology.