Kibaek Choe

Kibaek Choe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Genetics, and Immunology (MGI), College of Natural Science, Michigan State University. He received a B.S. in Physics from KAIST in South Korea, followed by Ph.D. and postdoctoral training in Prof. Pilhan Kim’s lab. There, he used intravital confocal and two-photon microscopy to study lymphocyte migration in lymph nodes and, in collaboration with Prof. Gou Young Koh, investigated lymphatic-mediated lipid drainage in the small intestine. He then completed postdoctoral training in Prof. Chris Xu’s lab at Cornell University, where he applied three-photon microscopy to study immune cell dynamics in lymph nodes and spleen, working closely with Prof. Brian Rudd and Prof. Wendy Béguelin.

The Choe lab focuses on understanding how immune cells migrate, interact, and coordinate within intact tissues, with an emphasis on their behavior in both physiological and disease contexts. We study lymphocyte dynamics in mouse lymph nodes and spleen during processes such as infection and cancer, including lymphoma, aiming to define how cellular interactions and tissue microenvironments shape immune surveillance and responses in vivo.

To achieve this, we use intravital two-photon and three-photon microscopy to directly visualize immune cell behavior deep within living tissues. In particular, three-photon microscopy enables imaging at more than twice the depth of conventional two-photon approaches while maintaining subcellular resolution, providing access to previously unexplored regions. In parallel, we develop and refine advanced imaging systems, including building and optimizing two-photon and three-photon microscopes, to expand the capabilities of in vivo immunological research.

By integrating cutting-edge imaging with quantitative analysis, our goal is to uncover fundamental principles governing immune cell dynamics across diverse biological conditions.

Selected Publications

• Choe et al, “Intravital three-photon microscopy allows visualization over the entire depth of mouse lymph nodes”, Nature immunology 23 (2), 330-340, 2022.
• Choe et al, “Stepwise transmigration of T-and B cells through a perivascular channel in high endothelial venules”, Life Science Alliance 4 (8), 2021.
• Choe et al, “Intravital imaging of intestinal lacteals unveils lipid drainage through contractility”, The Journal of clinical investigation 125 (11), 4042-4052, 2015.
• Choe et al, “In vivo high spatiotemporal resolution visualization of circulating T lymphocytes in high endothelial venules of lymph nodes”, Journal of Biomedical Optics 18 (3), 036005-036005, 2013.

Full publication list is available on Google Scholar link.