Dr. Yan’s major research interests center on elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which yeast-derived polysaccharide β-glucan modulates immunosuppressive myeloid cells to enhance antitumor immunotherapy, using both mouse tumor models and human cancer specimens. His laboratory has also identified γδ T cells as a major cellular source of the inflammatory cytokine IL-17 in psoriatic skin lesions and in human colon cancer. This line of investigation focuses on the roles of innate γδ T cells in health and disease, with particular interest in γδT17 cell development, metabolism, and the signaling pathways governing their activation and function. A third major research area in Dr. Yan’s laboratory examines the role of B cells in regulating autoreactive T cell activation and tolerance, using both a murine systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) model and human lung cancer samples. Their studies explore the B cell repertoire and how T–B cell interactions in cancer shape antitumor T cell responses. Knowledge gained from these integrated research programs has facilitated the development of effective vaccine strategies for cancer and autoimmune diseases.