Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences2014–2023
Hangang National University Seoul, Republic of Korea
Thesis: Mapping Dendritic Cell Heterogeneity Across Chronic Inflammatory Contexts. Advisor: Min-Ho Suh, M.D., Ph.D.
Andy Dufresne, Ph.D.
Computational biologist, single-cell and spatial multi-omics toward connectome-scale neuroscience
Profile
Moving from wet-lab immunology into computational neuroscience. I build methods that infer cellular identity, state, and interaction from large, incomplete single-cell and spatial data. Research objective: connect molecular cell identity to circuit structure and function by integrating connectomics with transcriptomics, growing into connectome-constrained circuit models.
Education
M.S., Biomedical Sciences2012–2014
Hangang National University Seoul
Thesis: Enhanced LPS-Induced Monocyte Activation by Recombinant Human Soluble CD180.
B.S., Genetic Engineering2008–2012
Suwon Institute of Life Sciences Suwon
Research and Professional Experience
Postdoctoral Researcher2025–2026
Nakdong University Wonju College of Medicine Physiology / Cellular Systems Research Center
Developed deep-learning multimodal-integration models fusing imaging, transcriptomic, and clinical data into single predictive models.
Associate Director2023–2025
Meridian Immune Therapeutics Inc. Basic Research, Seoul
Built in-house single-cell and spatial transcriptomics analysis code from scratch; led cross-functional NHP (cynomolgus, marmoset) EAE/MS multi-omic studies; oversaw regulatory documentation for an anti-CD25 humanized-antibody program.
Manager, Basic Research2021–2023
Meridian Immune Therapeutics Inc. Seoul
Researcher2019–2021
Xenotransplantation Research Center, HNU Seoul
Rhesus macaque tissue processing, longitudinal immune monitoring, CNS (brain and spinal cord) tissue handling.
Research Student, MOSAIC2020–2023
Multi-Organ Single-cell Atlas of Immune Cells, Genomic Medicine Institute, HNU
Contributed the founding proposal; executed within the funded program (500+ donors across 6 organs): milestone tracking, multi-site QC, multi-PI coordination.
Selected Publications
1.Reyes M*, Dufresne A*, Alvarez T*, et al. Conserved PDE9X short-isoform bias defines pathogenic Th1.17 state across human inflammatory diseases. Nature Immunology, IF 27.7, under review, 2026. UMI-aware BAM-level isoform analysis; scRNA + scTCR + snATAC integration; classifier AUC 0.812; 702 samples, 251,055 memory CD4 T cells.
2.Dufresne A*, Tanaka Y*, Truong P*, et al. Immune cell-enriched scRNA-seq unveils the interplay between infiltrated CD8 T resident memory cells and meningeal lymphatic endothelial cells in Parkinson's disease. Journal of Neuroimmunology, IF 2.9, 2025. 9,240 cells, 8 immune populations.
3.Dufresne A*, Delgado J*, Moreau S, et al. Deciphering Dysfunctional Regulatory T Cells in Vitiligo. Allergy, IF 12.6, 2025.
4.Alvarez J*, Dufresne A*, et al. Long-term control of diabetes by baricitinib-based immunosuppressive regimen after allo-islet transplantation in diabetic rhesus monkeys. Xenotransplantation, IF 3.9, 2024.
5.Novak L*, Dufresne A*, et al. Intra-tumoral heterogeneity and immune escape of melanoma arising from chronic UV photodamage revealed by spatial gene expression profiling. JEADV, IF 9.2, 2022.
6.Dufresne A*, et al. mTOR inhibitor-based immunosuppression in allogeneic islet transplantation. Islets, IF 2.2, 2019. Co-author, selected: eBioMedicine (IF 11.1, 2024), JEADV (IF 9.2, 2024), Current Diabetes Reports (IF 4.2, 2021).
Technical Skills
Single-cell / spatialscRNA-seq, scTCR-seq, snRNA/snATAC; Seurat, Scanpy, Squidpy, Monocle3, CellChat/NicheNet; scVI/scANVI, batch integration, consensus NMF; custom UMI-aware BAM-level isoform code (Python); Milo, GLIPH, InferCNV, weighted-LMM/EMM; GeoMx DSP; Olink proteomics.
ML / DL / AIPython (scikit-learn, XGBoost/LightGBM/CatBoost, PyTorch); AUC-validated classifiers; VAE/GAN/GNN; multimodal DL integration (imaging + transcriptomic + clinical); vision-language transformers; AlphaFold2/3, ProteinMPNN, DiffDock, MolFormer; Linux, R/RStudio, Git.
Experimental10x 5'/3' scRNA + scTCR libraries; high-dimensional flow cytometry (up to 24 markers), 10-color 6-way FACS; brain/CNS immune profiling (perfusion, digestion, Percoll, CD45 FACS); IHC/IF (frozen and FFPE); two-photon microscopy; NHP CNS tissue (rhesus, cynomolgus, marmoset); EAE/MS and islet-transplant models.
Awards, Patents and Scholarships
Antagonistic Anti-CD25 Humanized Antibody, Patent 10202400918452024
Immunosuppression Composition with PI3K Inhibitor, Patent 10201434962172019
Grand Prize, AI Builders Hackathon (Project Nova Team)2024
Grand Prize, Metro Innovation Workathon (Work Process Innovation)2023
Best Poster, American Transplant Congress, Chicago2017
NRF Ph.D. Scholarship, BK21 Plus, HNU Dean's Support2014–2020
References
Min-Ho Suh, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, HNU College of Medicine; CEO/CSO, Meridian Immune Therapeutics. Ph.D. advisor.
mhsuh@hangang.ac.krJi-Won Baek, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology / IBRI, HNU. Computational co-corresponding.
jwbaek@hangang.ac.krDae-Ho Yoon, Ph.D.
Professor, Physiology, Nakdong University Wonju College of Medicine. Recent supervisor.
dhyoon@nakdong.ac.kr